


Small Sparkles

by WriterandArtist27



Series: Starry Sky [10]
Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, Fate/stay night & Related Fandoms, Fate/stay night - All Media Types, Naruto, One Piece
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Everyone Needs A Hug, Gen, Implied/Referenced Character Death
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-10
Updated: 2019-11-16
Packaged: 2020-02-29 18:08:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 41
Words: 73,555
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18783427
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WriterandArtist27/pseuds/WriterandArtist27
Summary: A collection of the little glimmers of stories that never made it to these archives before. All starring one Civilian Pianist, with different people each time. These are the small sparkles that were never touched upon. [A collection of writings originally posted on Tumblr, featuring things from Civilian Pianist, the Sea and Stars, Silent Feathers, Healing Over Time, the dropped Danganronpa crossover, etc.]





	1. Tomoya and Tomoko

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: Everyone, welcome to this mismatched collection of writing bits. Where you can witness things that thus far, only has been with Tumblr. So, for the first bit, meet the genderbent version of Tomoko that only lived on Tumblr thus far. Hoshino Tomoya has a really different history in comparison to the pianist you all know.

_Sparkle 1: Tomoya and Tomoko_

Hoshino Tomoya knew that he wasn't exactly like other boys his age. Even if he had the figure to show for it, it didn't feel right. If anything, just the idea of identifying as male felt…odd.

Sometimes, when he fell asleep, he would get flashes of a different place. Older, happier scenes, where he was a girl going to college and pursuing a STEM degree, all because she wanted to help people back then. He wasn't sure what they exactly were, but it felt like memories of what might've been a different life, where he—back then,  _she_ —had a loving boyfriend, amazing family, and an overall great life that had everything set up for her.

Those dreams would always cut off with a loud screech and splashes of red, but he would always wake up before he could think on them more.

The uncomfortable feeling continued when Mom brought out his first work uniform for Nagareboshi Cafe.

"Look, Tomoya-kun! What do you think?" She paraded the butler outfit like it was a grand work of art left behind by the likes of Leonardo Da Vinci or some other great artist, spinning around with it in hand. He held back the urge to snort. "I just finished making this for you! How about you try it on?"

Despite the look of the suit, with its rather simple black bow tie and matching vest, Tomoya didn't feel all that great. It was a nice-looking outfit, sure, but was it really…okay? It didn't seem to go well with him at all, no matter how much he looked over it. But Mom's happy face wasn't something he could simply ignore, especially with that expectant spark in her eye, so he found himself in the dressing room anyways to change into it.

The outfit  _looked_ great, but would it be something he could wear everyday at work?

 _No_ , one small voice in his head went.  _It looks alright, but it's not me._

He tried to push the voice back into his head to change, and once he looked himself over in the mirror, the uncomfortable feeling in his chest only grew in intensity.

"Is this…really me?" he voiced quietly.

The only saving grace was the apron tied around his waist—if he twirled in place for a bit, it kinda resembled a skirt. The thought made the weight on his ribs seem a little lighter, at least.

But, no matter how much the thought of a skirt made him feel happy about the situation, it didn't change the fact that society probably wouldn't be as happy as he was. To the world of Konoha, a boy wearing a skirt just seemed to equal  _sacrilege_ , or possibly something worse. Even if kimonos in Konoha were unisex, the various differences in pattern and creation only made the gender divide all the more obvious.

He shook his head furiously, not wanting to entertain  _those_ ideas.

Torture was bad enough. Social exclusion and discrimination was the lowest of the low. The few times he encountered a homeless person on the streets, ignored by everyone else passing by, only served to leave a sick feeling in his stomach.

If he tried to be what his mind thought he should be, how would people take him then? Right now, he was just a boy that everyone ignored. What would happen if he came out about being a girl?

Just  _dressing_  as a girl couldn't possibly fly with how judgemental Konoha citizens seemed to be.

But, that didn't mean those old dreams didn't teach him how to compromise. That girl in those dreams always seemed to know how to work around something, at least whenever she wasn't stressed.

He opened his mouth.

"Hey Mom? Think you could add something like a waist cape to this?"

A skirt wasn't possible in this day and age, but at least a waist cape could give him enough of an illusion to believe in it anyways.

* * *

The dreams started getting stranger when one night, he found himself standing in a world of white, his only company being a girl his age that shared the same blue eyes as Mom.

"Uhhh," the girl started, lightly playing with a black hair strand. He couldn't help but notice the orange hair ribbon tied around said strand. "No offense intended, but I can't help but ask. Am I dreaming, or do I see another person here?"

"I think we're both dreaming," he said, already inwardly cursing his voice. Thankfully, he had yet to hit puberty, but the deep baritone to his voice really didn't make him feel all the more better. "I see you fidgeting with your hair right now, and you seem to be in front of me."

"…Oh," said the girl, and her hand went to the hem of her skirt instead, lightly playing with it. A closer look made Tomoya realize that she was wearing a variation of the usual kimono, with the bottom part being an actual skirt than the classic folds. And…were the stars on the skirt actually  _moving_?

"That's…interesting," the girl summed up, scratching her cheek. Apparently she didn't notice that she unintentionally echoed his thoughts? "Um…"

He glanced over himself, only to hold back a noise of disgust. A white T-shirt and grey sweatpants—basically nothing in comparison to the girl's attire. This was just great. "Anyways," he said, trying to push the dark coil of jealousy to the back of his head. "Might as well start with introductions, just to get the awkwardness out of the way." He extended a hand towards the girl, only for her to blink at the gesture in almost adorable doe-eyed confusion. "I'm Tomoya. What's your name?"

The girl glanced between his hand and his eyes, inclining her head before smiling, taking his hand a mere second later. "I'm Tomoko. It's nice to meet you, Tomoya-kun."

_Tomoko. That sounds like a nice name._

The positivity of that thought persisted even after he woke up, and it was only when he was at the piano again, preparing for another work day that he realized that Tomoko looked like a younger version of Mom. And that the bitter taste in the back of his throat came from her using "-kun" instead of "-chan" with his name.

To drown away his doubts, he went about playing the fastest songs he could muster.

* * *

Since then, Tomoko seemed to show up more and more in his dreams, slowly replacing the previous scenes of college life and that girl's stressed attempts at studying for Chemistry. Tomoya wasn't sure what he missed more—dreamless sleep, the scenes of a different world, or having time to himself. Sure, playing piano at Nagareboshi Cafe was great, since he could express his thoughts in ways words couldn't do justice, but it just wasn't enough. People still went to him with expectations in mind, and he had to comply.

Spending time with Tomoko, though, was different.

It started as relative silence, at least until someone started talking.

It all changed with only the second meeting.

The second time they had met up in that white world, Tomoko had sat down onto the ground, motioning to her other side with a pat of her hand.

"How about you sit with me?" she asked, and with the way her high-pitched voice echoed almost cutely in the space, Tomoya couldn't refuse.

He knew that what he felt for Tomoko at that moment wasn't exactly  _love_ —since the girl in his previous dreams showed more than enough examples of what that really was. The number of times he had to look away when she shared a kiss with her boyfriend was proof of that. And the hugs. Definitely the hugs.

But there was something else that churned in his stomach whenever Tomoko spoke, or said his name.

Nonetheless, he sat, and found himself staring at his only company as Tomoko shrugged. "Hehe, well, I'm not really sure how to start this, since we just met, but um, Tomoya-kun?"

"Wait, Tomoko-chan," he raised his hand, already feeling the bitterness return to his throat at the sound of the honorific. "Before you go any further, could you just call me "Tomoya"? The "-kun" kinda makes me uncomfortable."

Tomoko's eyes widened to what could be the size of big, blue dinner plates before nodding. "I-I'm sorry! I didn't mean to make you feel that way!"

"I-It's okay," he said, waving a hand.  _That was quick._ "I'm guessing it's just a habit for you?"

"Yeah, it is…doesn't give me an excuse for messing up, though." Tomoko nearly squeaked the words out before ducking her head in shame, bangs shading her eyes. "I-I mean, I only know one other guy, and he seems okay with "-kun"..." she trailed off before furiously shaking her head, thankfully missing his wince towards the honorific. "Not the point! So "Tomoya" would be fine, then?"

"Yeah," and finally, the weight on his chest seemed to come off, just a little bit more. "And are you okay with "Tomoko-chan"?"

Tomoko nodded, smiling again. "I guess that settles introductions and all that, huh?"

"Yep," he said, popping the last syllable just because. He wasn't really sure why he did it in the first place, initially brushing it off as a habit of his own, but with the way the last letter made his voice sound all the more higher in pitch, it made the atmosphere seem a little easier to breathe in. "So what were you trying to say before?"

Tomoko blinked again, blue eyes shining with some emotion he couldn't read. "Well…" she trailed off again, turning away to put a hand to her chin in thought. "Hm, we do seem to be meeting up often in these dreams, so I was just thinking about getting to know you better." She smiled again, more hesitantly this time. "Maybe we should play something like 20 Questions, or uhhh…" she paused once more, and Tomoya felt a bead of sweat trail down his jaw with how Tomoko started fidgeting again.

…

" _Wow_ ," she said finally. Tomoya tried not to roll his eyes from exasperation as the girl continued in a flat voice. "I was on a roll with something, but forgot the rest of what I was thinking. Shoot."

He leaned back on his hands while looking up towards whatever constituted as the ceiling. Basically, taking in a bunch of blank white with a sigh. "Cat got your tongue, maybe?"

A long pause followed. The first few seconds of silence, Tomoya could bear. But by the time it started rolling into minutes, he found himself getting antsy. "Hey," he said, sitting straight up while trying to hide irritation and worry. "What's wrong?"

When turning to the girl, Tomoya lurched back at the shock clearly showing in Tomoko's eyes. "Tomoya…d-did you just…" she gaped, raising a pointer finger at him that he wasn't sure was confused or judgemental. "Did you just use an  _American_ saying?"

More weight piled on his gut. "Wait… _American_? You…you know?"

"Oh dear," Tomoko said, lowering her hand. "Oh dear, dear, dear."

If Tomoya didn't know any better, the girl sounded like a small, pink piglet as her face turned white. "Tomoya, can you answer this honestly for me, please?"

"Yeah, go ahead," he replied curtly.

"D-Does…does…" Tomoko visibly swallowed. "Does the name "Leo" ring any bells?"

His insides felt like ice. The other girl, the girl who had a boyfriend in his previous dreams, she  _knew_ Leo. She  _loved_ Leo. So then, how would Tomoko—

"How in all  _heck_ do you know that name?" he gaped.

"Oh dear," Tomoko repeated. "Oh my dear god…Tomoya…" her voice shook. "By chance, is your last name…is your last name "Hoshino" too? Are your parents Hoshino Judai and Hoshino Hikari too?"

If there was a time he could turn to stone, it was certainly now. " _Shit_ ," he cursed, lowering his head. "Fucking  _shit._  W-We're…we're…"

"You're—you're  _me_ ," Tomoko breathed, the same hand from before now reaching over, almost as if to grab his hand, before pausing. "You're me…from another universe, or world, right?"

"Wait, wait,  _wait_ ," he angrily shook his head to the point of his own black hair slapping his face, trying to wipe out any beginning swirls of anger and jealousy to stay calm. "Before we confirm that, just—just let me ask my own question."

Tomoko lowered her hand, eyes still wide while nodding.

"Okay, don't freak."  _Because freaking out like I am right now is only going to make this worse._  Still, Tomoya opened his mouth and said it. "Do you have memories of being a girl who went to college and wanted to be a doctor?"

" _Vy_ ," Tomoko breathed, and the stone in his stomach finally settled to the point where Tomoya felt like he wanted to throw up. "18 years old, Southern Vietnamese heritage, had an older brother who wanted to be a filmmaker, all of that?"

" _Fuck_ ," Tomoya said simply. "Just… _fuck._ "

_She's me if I was actually born as a girl._

The thought rang many bells in his head, and despite the air being thick, his heart suddenly felt lighter.

_She's who I was meant to be._

Wait…what?

"Wow," Tomoko said finally. He looked up only to see another smile, a bit brighter and hesitant all at once. "So…Mama and Papa over there named you, "Tomoya"—the "wise one"?"

Even if the tone was teasing, Tomoya didn't feel all that happy. "Tomoko sounds better," he muttered, glancing away stubbornly.  _Rub in the cuter name, go ahead._  "Friendly child is better than "wise," sheesh." He sighed.

Tomoko blinked before reaching over again, and despite hesitating, she grabbed his hand in hers, and he jumped. Why was it so  _soft?_ "Tomoya, by chance…" Tomoko gulped again, and Tomoya didn't miss how the air grew thicker. "Did you want to be a girl? Are you not happy being a boy?"

_How did she read my mind?_

Tomoya turned to gape at her, just as the cogs in his head started to turn.

The black bobcut, the orange hair ribbon, the star-covered kimono dress.

All of those things were things his dreams originally kept coming back to. Even when Vy was the focus, the fact that living her life as a girl, even in dreams, made him happy.  _Free._ All the more  _real._

_Tomoko is me if I got to be who I really wanted to be._

_Who I was meant to_ —

Tomoya didn't even realize tears were streaming down his face until Tomoko started to wipe at them carefully with a handkerchief.

By then, he knew. Tomoko was radiant— _sparkling_ — because of who she was. How she was so comfortable with herself, so open to where the gestures she was making now made his heart more lighter and heavier all at once.

Tomoko was the self he could've been in another world,  _another life_ —had he been able to express himself properly.

What could he take— _use_  to get that same chance?

"I'm sorry," Tomoko said gently, breaking him— _her_  out of her thoughts. "I didn't meant to push. I'll see if I can help you transition if you want to. You do live in Konoha, right?"

"Y-Yeah," Tomoya laughed softly, and the sound felt almost tingly in his— _her_  throat as the emotion made it sound all the more feminine. All the more  _right._ "Yeah. Mom still makes our clothes for the cafe as always."

Tomoko smiled softly while continuing to wipe away at the tears with one hand, her other going to Tomoya's hair to lightly brush it out of her face. "And you haven't encountered any discrimination for being you yet, right?"

"N-No," Tomoya was surprised at how quick the answer left her lips. The voice that originally defined her as a "him" was also starting to change, sounding a bit more high-pitched. If she could say as much, it was starting to echo the girl she should've been—the girl that was caring for her right now. "Not yet."

Tomoko smiled that same soft smile, teeth shining white, and the weight finally came off her chest.

"Well then, Tomoya-chan, let's start with changing what you have at home and go from there. I'll do whatever I can to help. After all—" Tomoko bopped her nose while winking. "You're me, and there's nothing wrong with helping a fellow girl."

Tomoya smiled back in what felt like the first time in years.

Tomoko used "-chan".

She had found a friend.

* * *

"…Hey, Mom?"

"Hm?"

"Is there a way to incorporate a skirt into my uniform without it obviously looking like a skirt?"

Hikari smiled. So that was what Tomoya was worried about.

"I have a sewing machine, dear. I'll see what I can do."

It was a start.


	2. Fight Me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: What was originally a drabble prompt, and a glimpse into Hikari's backstory before her time as Tomoko's mother.

_Sparkle 2: Fight Me_

" _Young lady, you get back here and listen!"_

Hikari didn't turn her head, even when she felt herself flinch at the sound of her mother's voice. It was the first time in years that Hikari ever heard her mother be so angry, and every single part of her was conflicted, but things were different.

She wasn't that little girl anymore, scared of her parents' opinions.

"You're really going to ignore me?! Even after I cared for you for so long! I  _bought_  that violin for you, dammit! You are still a  _child_ , and you're running off with a ninja?! What kind of gratitude is that to your mother?!"

The words hurt, but when Hikari looked up at her window to meet those brown eyes, she smiled.

"Yes. I'm running away to a ninja who cared for me way more than  _you_ ever did, Kaa-san. I don't owe you  _anything._ "

The woman's voice faltered for the first time in 20 years, and the stare burning into her back was hot. "You— Hik—"

"I'm graduating from you, Kaa-san. Thank you for everything."

Hikari didn't hesitate in taking Judai's hand to head out the window. Even if her parents were screaming after her. Even if her stomach protested at Judai's ninja speed.

She was with someone she loved, and that was enough.


	3. Get Me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: Judai's side of backstory, and another drabble thingie.

_Sparkle 3: Get Me_

"Excuse my language, Hokage-sama, but WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU?"

Judai could have laughed in that moment alone if not for the shock rolling through his system. The nearby ANBU too were frozen. Then again, it wasn't every day that your civilian best friend-slash-crush was actively chewing out the strongest ninja in the village like he was a child.

"I'd get it if you're running low on available ninja. I'd get it. But not this. Not.  _This_. I can't let this go on." Hikari pointed an angry finger in the Third's direction, and Judai couldn't help but gape at her. "Judai's been serving you for long enough. You can't just  _ask_  him for more when he's already done more than enough."

"Hikari—"

" _DON'T JUST 'HIKARI' ME, HOKAGE-SAMA."_  Hikari took a breath. "Judai has suffered long enough, you can't just ask him to sacrifice the rest of his  _entire_ life to the war when you couldn't even save his friends."

Judai tried not to freeze this time.

"If you think that ninja should just be killing machines for the rest of their lives, you're  _wrong_ , Hokage-sama. I'll take whatever punishment you can dole out. Just let Judai go. He's fought enough.  _You've_   _made him suffer enough_."

The Third didn't even protest when Hikari grabbed Judai's hand to head out the door.

It was the first time since Johan's death that Judai felt so light.


	4. Rose Confession

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: When a music video inspired me to touch upon Tomoko's early childhood from the point of view of her mother.

_Sparkle 4: Rose Confession_

Hikari sometimes wondered about what went on in her daughter's head. Judai didn't seem to mind, if his affectionate calling of "Hime" was any indication, but it was something that bugged her every now and then.

There was no way Hikari would ever stop loving the little girl she named "Tomoko." She lived up to her namesake of friendliness after all, brightening up her dream cafe with so much innocence to where Hikari couldn't help  _but_ be proud. Her daughter could live in a place where she could be free, all in her own way. And after Hikari's own childhood experiences, that was more than enough for her.

But. There was always one "but."

"Mama, is there anything I can do to help?"

Hikari couldn't help but wonder where this desire to  _work_  came from. The first time Tomoko asked that question, Hikari let her do things left in a child's capability to do, from carrying small food orders to managing the cash register. Even if Tomoko was eager, she was still a little girl, with developing muscles and a mind that needed to learn. Thankfully, the piano was an unexpected bonus, and a majority of the time, it did occupy Tomoko's attention enough for Hikari to not worry about her.

The subsequent times Tomoko asked, it was a subject of concern. Miyako noticed too, if her immediate agreement to train her was any indication. Tomoko was exploring the world thanks to her ninja friends, and whether she liked it or not, the village  _would_  notice. It was one of the reasons why Hikari carefully burned every single one of the damning letters that showed up in the mail since Sakumo and Kakashi came to live with them, because no one deserved to see such negativity. Sakumo needed a safe haven, and Kakashi needed an accepting environment. Tomoko still needed her as a mother. Acknowledging such blatant hate crimes would mean the village would be getting to her, and after what happened with her parents, Hikari could never allow that.

The whole incident with Hitoshi-kun solidified that resolve. Tomoko was hurt, she was losing her smile to the nightmares and other things Hikari couldn't see, and yet she still woke up every morning to greet her with a small wave past the futon covers.

"Hi, Mama. What can I do for you today?"

It was a variation of the same question. No mention of, "could I get something," or anything else even  _remotely_ selfish. It was always, "What can I do for you?" But there was fire in those blue eyes every time her daughter said it, and Hikari couldn't help but wonder.

"Let's see, Tomoko-chan. We'll go together, okay? One day at a time."

Hikari could at least guide her to find good friends and make good habits. Judai was bad enough in his old work days. She could try to bet on her odds again to change things, in the hopes of letting Tomoko-chan be a little girl and not just someone to be taken advantage of.

Even if tears were a natural part of life, Hikari would be  _damned_ to see her daughter cry again. She cried alone enough, before Judai and Tomoko. She could be better this time.


	5. Join Me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: A possible look into CP's future, where our main pianist doesn't even star. Others work in her stead, when she's unaware.

_Sparkle 5: Join Me_

Danzo was facedown in his own blood, with Kushina-san at his side, looking triumphant in spite of the splatter.

Kakashi could only find himself staring down the dying man passively, the bare wisps of disgust rolling in his gut. This was all it took to take down the Shadow of the Hokage? This was it?

"Y-You could've had everything, Kakashi."

It shouldn't have been surprising that the man was still trying to manipulate — to  _brainwash_  through words, even now.

"I-If you joined me as you said, the Leaf would be in a much higher place. We could have had everything… we could have protected the children of the village's future." There was a sickly cough as the blood continued to pool under Danzo's hands. "You could have protected the village more than your father ever did."

Kakashi bit the inside of his cheek, shaking his head as soon as Kushina-san was already raising a chakra chain from the anger.

"You wouldn't have protected the  _civilians,_  Danzo-sama," he bit out as calmly as he could, even with the killer intent rolling through his veins. "You would have considered them as expendable as the Root you were raising. As expendable as Jiraiya-sama's own  _students_ , who have done far more than you ever did."

Danzo raised a shaky hand towards him, and even without meeting his eye, Kakashi knew the man was glaring at him.

"You tried to manipulate my family. You tried to kill the girl I love." The familiar buzz of Raikiri was already coming to his hand as Kakashi remembered  _her_ warm smile.

 _Soon, Tomoko_ , he thought.  _It'll be over soon_.

"As far as I know, you've betrayed the Leaf far more than Dad and I ever did. And Sensei never did like traitors."

Kushina-san brought down the chakra chain as soon as Kakashi lunged.

Danzo never breathed a single word again.


	6. Jumping Around Like a Kid

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: The small, possibly unneeded sequel to Chapter 18 of Silent Feathers. So, Kei and Otoha make their first appearance in this collection! Plus Hisako. Here you go.

_Sparkle 6: Jumping Around Like a Kid_

In all the time I had been alive,  _puddle jumping_  wasn't something that was on my everyday agenda. But here I was anyway, glancing down at my first puddle before Otoha made the first jump.

"C'mon, To-To!" Their voice echoed the happy trills long before I even heard them vocalized. The loud splash was obvious too. "Join us!"

I couldn't help but glance at Kei, and she gave me a nonchalant grin before jumping forward too, distorting the nearest reflection with ripples as she landed in water. "Boots give good protection, Tomo." She raised her head to give me that same grin. "Live a little!"

"Live..." the word seemed a bit foreign to my lips. Before, living meant doing things for other people. Making sure they were happy, that they were okay. Never something so silly like this. But...

Hisako pushed at my shoulder.  **Go on, dear. You need to be you too.**

I closed my eyes, swallowed my doubts, bent my knees, and leapt.

Otoha laughed loudly as soon as I hit water, and I could feel the rubber of my rain boots and some of my legs take the brunt of the splash. Thank goodness for shorts. But the fresh air, the sensation of flying in the air, for just a little bit.

I opened my eyes and glanced around.

Kei and Otoha were both smiling at me. And they were standing far away. When did they go over to the near end of the grass?

**Time for you to be a kid for once.**

I smiled back and waved. "Hey, hey, wait for me!"

The water couldn't even dampen my mood when all that my heart could register was warmth.


	7. Befriend Me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: I don't own anyone or anything except the concept of the story and the mentioned pianist in-story. Isshinta Asakura, better known as (cough cough cough) Uzumaki Shinta (cough cough cough), Gekkō Miyako, and Gekkō Keisuke belong to Lang.
> 
> Originally written as a whim and a passing muse, because a certain redhead deserves a companion in the afterlife.
> 
> The theme for this little thing is the piano version of Home from RWBY. Because it's Lang's favorite song from the Volume 4 Soundtrack and I found it fitting. :)

_Sparkle 7: Befriend Me_

"So you're the guy who's been stealing my act!"

Shinta tried not to jolt from his seat up in the clouds, looking up from his window into the real world to meet bright green eyes. "Um," he started politely, " _your_ act?"

The apparent  _blue_ -haired man blinked, appearing to have not expected the confused reply. "I mean, there's only so many windows up here. I thought I was the  _only_  guy who flew down to haunt the place every now and then." He stood back up to rub the back of his spiky head, laughing. "But I guess that was an awkward way to start a conversation now, huh?"

"I don't believe it was even a conversation," Shinta said as politely as he could, doing his best to avoid a stammer. Even after so many years of adjusting to life after death, he still wanted to curse his mind for thinking like the 15-year old boy who couldn't even muster the strength to aid Tomoe-chan in the end. Tomoe-chan… No… she was Miyako now.

He glanced back at the window one more time from habit before making eye contact. "Asakura—no," he shook his head, adjusting his long red ponytail. That clan was no more. To—Miyako made sure of that. "Uzumaki Shinta," he amended instead, shrugging his shoulders. "Could I get your name?"

The blue-haired man was staring straight at him again, before beaming. "Johan! Johan Anderson. Johan is just fine." He offered a hand towards Shinta, and Shinta stared at it for a moment before taking it and shaking as firmly as he could without rustling his sitting space in the clouds. "So, fellow ghost, Shinta?"

Shinta wondered how Johan was still grinning, even with the large slash mark hidden behind the slightly rusted Leaf hitai-ite tied around his neck. A ninja. The slash said more than enough at a possible story, but Shinta held his tongue out of habit. The dead didn't ask one another about the methods on how they passed from the real world out of common courtesy. "Ghost," he agreed mildly. "Do you visit loved ones too?"

Johan's smile turned a bit more wistful as he let go of the handshake. "All the time." He proceeded to plop himself down on Shinta's cloud to sit next to him, glancing down at the same window all the while. "The way I died… well," Johan laughed, a bit bitter. "It wasn't great. I hurt my best friend." He wasn't looking up at Shinta now, his green eyes dark while still focused on the window. "I protected him, but I didn't even know of his feelings until now. So, I watch over him to make up for it." He laughed again. "Silly, huh?"

Shinta shook his head immediately. He knew the feeling of leaving someone behind with regrets, even if his experiences with Miyako were different. "No," he said quietly. "Not at all. I feel the same." He turned back to the window, making out some forest foliage before turning his head back to face Johan again. "Do you want me to move the window to where your friend is? Or open it so you can fly down and visit directly?"

"Really?" Johan chuckled, mirth in his voice again. That was better. "Thanks for the offer. Sure, move the window. Or, give me a sec," he reached over past Shinta's haori to wipe at one of the window panes that served as the main map for the window to follow, "I got this."

The glass instantly clouded over with Johan's action, and Shinta watched out of curiosity and interest as the forest changed to that of the inside of a dojo. Besides him, Johan grinned. "Here we go…"

The image beyond the panes blurred a bit more before voices could finally come through.

"Strike-one! Strike-two! Block!"

Shinta froze almost immediately. That was  _Miyako's_ voice.

"Hah, hah!"

"Tomoko-chan, you are faltering again! More force in that swing! Strike again!"

"Y-Yes, Miyako-shishō! Hah!"

"Block again!"

" _Hah!"_

Shinta blinked at Johan just as the other man turned to him, apparently having noticed his shock. "I'm guessing one of your loved ones is down there?" Johan pointed at the window, grinning sheepishly. "I mean, I forgot to mention that I watch over my  _niece_ there too, so I guess we're even in that case!"

"Niece…" Shinta echoed in disbelief, turning his eyes back to the window from a lack of any words.

It had been years, but the spark of light that was originally in Uesugi Tomoe's eyes was still present in Gekkō Miyako's, just brighter now. Her smile too, was softer. "You are improving, Tomoko-chan."

The girl standing across from Miyako was sweaty, panting in her training gi and clenching her shinai, but she was giggling. "Th-Thank you, Miyako-shishō."

Miyako chuckled in return, a warmth in the sound that Shinta could barely connect to the Tomoe he was originally engaged with. "Tomoko-chan, again, you do not have to call me 'shishō.' 'Miyako-bachan' is more than sufficient."

"I mean, Tomo," Another person spoke up, and Shinta nearly threw his neck out to stare at the other child walking into the dojo area  _with_  Miyako's likeness, grinning. Miyako's daughter. "Keisuke" was the name. Shinta still questioned the reasoning behind that one. The eyes were enough proof of the blood relation, but the  _hair_ … "It's still Mom. You don't have to be so stiff."

Tomoko's blue eyes widened to an almost comical degree as her kenjutsu stance laxed. "But, but, Kei, it's a respect thing…" she squirmed, trying to straighten herself while turning back to Miyako. "I-I mean, you teach me a lot of things, Miyako-shi—  _bachan_!" She flailed in time to Johan's quiet laughter. "From tea ceremonies to meditation to swords! Shishō just…" A bright pink colored the girl's face. "It just seems fitting."

Kei laughed in time with Miyako's warm chuckle.

"D-Don't laugh, I'm being serious…" Tomoko clutched her shinai with puffed cheeks. " _Mugu_."

"Aren't the kids  _adorable_?" Johan cooed, and Shinta, even through the confusion, vaguely realized that he was still there, glancing at him. The sparkles bouncing off of him this time were hard to miss. "Tomoko-chan's still shy but so  _cute_! I still can't believe how lucky Judai got!"

The names gently bounced off of Shinta's head before the words sank in. "Tomoko…is your niece?"

Johan noticed his confusion again, with no time in-between sitting silence and replying. "Kinda." The grin on his face this time was proud. "She's the daughter of my best friend, and she calls me 'Uncle,' so she's my niece!"

That was quite a thought to sit on. The daughter of Johan's best friend was also the apparent  _niece_ of Miyako. Who shared the same character of "Tomo" in name as Miyako's original identity. "…Uncle," Shinta repeated, blinking.

"Uncle!" Johan put his hands in the clouds behind him while glancing up towards the sky, avoiding looking into the sun. "She's a sweetheart, really." His shoulders slumped. "She's done a lot more than me, and she still tries to visit me when she's not busy. Makes me wonder where she got it all from, the sweet."

"I can certainly believe that," Shinta said mildly, glancing back to the window in time to see Kei hand Tomoko a water bottle. "Considering Tomoe—Miyako-chan's face down there."

It was about time for Johan to stop his train of thought too. The blue-haired man turned on him so fast to the point of Shinta questioning if he'd get whiplash from his spiky hair flying around. "Miyako? You know Miyako, Shinta?"

From old memories, or perhaps habit, Shinta flushed, tugging on his ponytail. "We…we were once betrothed. Before she came to be 'Miyako.'"

Johan's expression changed to that of compassionate realization. "Oh," he said, before turning back to the window. "I guess it's a small world, huh?" He laughed again. Shinta didn't know if it was sad or happy or both. He could at least take some relief in how Johan didn't ask any more questions. "The daughter of my best friend Judai is friends with the daughter of your previous fiancé. What a world."

Shinta mustered a smile back. "What a small world indeed," he concluded solemnly.

Without thinking, he glanced back down at the window again. Tomoko had put away her shinai via leaning it against a wall in favor of chasing after Kei, who was laughing, probably from some kind of teasing joke, but Miyako—

Miyako was looking up towards their window.

Shinta lurched back from shock. Did she notice?

Those same black eyes were continuing to stare, an amused smile on her face before she lowered her head, shaking it. "No, it must be something else," she picked up her shinai absently before shouting. "Girls! Back to training! We still have an hour before lunchtime!"

Kei threw her head back in time for Tomoko to collide into her from behind. " _Ow_ , Tomo," she sighed. "Darn."

"Aaaaaah, I'm sorry!"

"It's okay. Don't get your heart rate up about it." Kei proceeded to reach out towards her friend's hair to ruffle it.

"Surprised, huh?" Shinta glanced at Johan as soon as Johan rocked forward to rest his hands on his knees. "The living do notice us. Like that."

That was new. There was never a moment in the times before, when Shinta looked through the window, that  _that_  happened. "All the time?"

"Sometimes." Johan rolled his shoulders forward in a shrug, still resting his hands on his knees. From Shinta's point of view, he looked like a curled up blue owl. "Judai nearly did when that little girl was born. I wasn't expecting Tomoko-chan to reach out to me like that anyways," he laughed loudly. "I know it sounds weird as all hell, but it's nice, being noticed."

Shinta glanced back down at the window again. Miyako had gone back to her instructing, and Kei—

 _Kei_  was the one staring this time. Shinta could only find himself gaping as she grinned and gave him a small thumbs-up before turning back. "Tomo, you're slouching again!"

"E-Eh?! Where!"

The smile was already blooming on his face. That was the first time someone noticed him, and it was Miyako's daughter. Of course. This was the same feeling Johan must've had.

"I get it," Shinta said quietly. "I get it."

Johan turned his head to beam in his direction, green eyes bright like before. "Hey," he leaned in with that same grin. "Wanna exchange stories?"

Shinta smiled. A friend. It was a nice thought. After death, Shinta never thought of entertaining that kind of relationship again. Now was a better time than any. "Alright. Who should start first?"


	8. A Seaside Future

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: A possible ending to Seaside Sibling Train, years in the future. Have at it, readers. Eli, this is for you.

_Sparkle 8: A Seaside Future_

The portal leading to Jack-nii wasn't that big. If anything, it felt similar to Obito's Kamui, but I made sure to stock up on some basic over-the-countertop medication for my motion sickness. Just in case.

Minato-san only gave me a simple look when opening it up with his fuinjutsu. "Are you sure about this, Tomoko-chan? Not telling anyone?"

"I…" The words were on the tip of my tongue, but I still took a breath to say them properly. I couldn't falter now. Even if it was in the face of the village leader and former Jounin who led my friends to some kind of victory. "Yes, I am. You do have full discretion to tell the former Team Minato if you feel it necessary, Hokage-sama, but I do need some time away. Mama and Papa already know what I'm doing."

The Fourth was still giving me that same disbelieving stare. "Tomoko-chan…"

"Really, I'll be okay, Minato-san." I smiled, jostling my bag all the while. My hair was brushing my back, almost itchy, but I ignored it. I could handle it later. "I just need a break from ninja things. And, to be honest, I feel like only Jack-nii can give that right now."

Minato-san closed his eyes. "It's not because of Kei and Kakashi, is it?"

 _LUB-DUB_. The thudding of my heart was still painful against my ribs.

"…What do you think, Hokage-sama?" I said instead, as coolly as I could.

Minato-san shook his head, opening his eyes to look at me with a stare that I knew was both sympathetic and hard, like the father he already was to Naruto and Tatsumaki. "Tomoko-chan. You're not alone. You can talk to them."

It was an idea. I was able to do it before. But…

 _LUB-DUB_.

I instinctively reached out and gripped my Wayfinder necklace, even if it was nestled away in my dress pocket, nodding. The metal was still comforting, even now. "I-I know, Minato-san, I know. I just feel like the happy couple needs some time to themselves. That's it."

 _They don't need you anymore,_ that same bit of darkness muttered in the back of my brain.

I shook my head instinctively. That same thought. That same anxiousness. I was tired of it. I was tired of it showing up when I saw Kei and Kakashi together.

_With you speaking like that, there's no way I can be around them like this._

Even then, he wasn't buying it. It felt like he knew. Hell, he was the  _Fourth Hokage_. I wouldn't be surprised if he knew. Hisako would probably call it. If she was still here. "Tomoko-chan—"

"Hokage-sama," I interrupted, closing my eyes and ducking my head. My hair was a good enough curtain to hide the start of tears. "Don't say anymore. I know.  _Please_."

A moment of silence passed. All that really echoed in the office was the whirring of the portal before Minato-san let out a soft sigh. "Alright," he said, with a tone of finality to it. "Just, I ask this alone: come back soon and talk to them."

A true smile was already forming on my face as I made eye contact with him. "I know, and I will. Thank you, Hokage-sama. For going with my selfish request."

Minato-san simply shook his head, smiling back at me. "It's no problem. Have a safe trip, Tomoko-chan."

I made sure to give him a hug before jumping through the portal.

* * *

The New World didn't seem like it had changed much in my absence. But once I had gotten over the urge to vomit, I looked around. Minato-san had put a Hiraishin marker on Nii so long ago, so he should've been around—

"Tomo?"

I knew that voice. It was a bit older, wiser, but I knew that voice.

I swiveled my head around to make eye contact with surprised, warm brown eyes. " _My baby_!" My now older,  _beard-covered_ Marine caretaker yelled, extending his arms towards me. "Tomo!"

The same ahoge, the same voice. It  _was_  Nii.

Still. All that was going through my head was:  _He got taller and more muscular;_ What  _has he been eating to get that buff_ ; and  _Ohmigod, Jack-nii has a beard, what did I_ miss?

Then it all changed to happiness. True, genuine,  _untainted_  happiness. "H-Hi, Jack-nii." Without even thinking, I was running right into his hug, squeezing as hard as I could to take in his presence for the first time in what felt like  _forever_. Jack-nii didn't seem to mind, judging by his humming above my head all the while. His grip was definitely tighter from what I could remember, along with the added  _scritch-scratch_  of his beard on top of my head, but it was still warm and  _Nii_. "I missed you."

The urge to cry was already coming over me as Jack-nii rocked me back and forth in the hug, as if I was a little girl all over again. As if nothing had changed. "I missed you too, sweetheart," he murmured into my hair, pressing a kiss to the top of my head all the while. "What have you been up to?"

"Piano," I choked out softly, because  _holy shit_ did I miss him, why did I even leave. "Helping Kei and the others. A-And, um. I-I was hoping to ask you something. Even though it's been a while."

Nii was already pulling away to place his hands on my shoulders, smiling softly in that warm  _Nii_ way. "What is it, Tomo?"

I tried not to fidget and looked away instead, because the  _love_ in his eyes was unmistakable. The darkness was already starting to come back with the doubt, because  _I didn't deserve that love_. I didn't deserve Nii. It had been years, and yet he was  _still_  accepting me. Just, just—

_Why?_

Jack-nii inclined his head, kneeling down somewhat to meet my eyes. "Tomo?"

"N-Nii…" I choked it out as calmly as I could, trying not to let my voice crack."C-Could I stay with you for a little while? I-If that's that okay?"

I couldn't cry now. Not in front of him.

"Oh, Tomo…  _My baby_ …" Still, Nii was giving me those same  _understanding_  eyes before nodding, pulling me into a tighter hug. My ribs clattered painfully from the grip, but for once, my heart felt  _light_  in my chest. It was  _Nii_. It was still  _Jack-nii_. "Of course you can stay. C'mon, I'll take you to Mom. She's missed you too."

For once since my friends started pairing up amongst themselves, I finally felt at home.


	9. To Be Careful With Your Words

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: When Archer gets a chance to shine past all the oneshots. Here we go.

_Sparkle 9: To Be Careful with Your Words_

There were a few crucial factors that made up first impressions. Appearances, voice, eye contact. Archer was familiar with many of them thanks to being — well, having  _once_ been human. Memories nonwithstanding, it could go in either direction. To get along or not. To be irritating or not.

Even as a Servant, Master impressions went around those same categories. The teenager version of Rin from his lost days, he underestimated because she was still a kid.

Tomoko? It was a surprise to say the least.

He never expected to be summoned again. After all, he didn't have a goal. Emiya Shirou would never be him. That was enough. So his battle should've been over. He never expected to be on the end of an accident  _again_.

"Servant Archer, I have answered your summons—" he cut himself off once the sight in front of him registered. A storage shed. A magic circle painted into the ground. And in front of him, a bewildered teenage girl with bright blue eyes and long black hair that screamed a likeness to Rin if not for the different bangs and the blue hair ribbon on the right side of her face. "Oh," he said, the resignation coming into his voice before he wiped it away with a casual smirk. "So, you're my Master?"

"A-And you're," the girl's voice was squeaky as she continued to stare up at him. She wasn't even complaining, simply shocked. It was better than what he could've asked for. "You're..."

"Archer?"

No. No,  _no no no no_ , that wasn't possible.  _She was in the_ last  _Grail War, how could she be—_  Archer was already turning around once his eyes caught the slight glint of metal armor over a blue dress, and Saber too was staring wide-eyed at him. It was her. Only Saber had those emerald green eyes. "You were summoned?"

It was the same voice. It  _was_ Saber.

The girl behind him was mumbling something along the lines of a surprised, " _Ohmigosh, aaaaaaguuuu, whatisgoingonhere,"_ before she squeaked a loud, "Y-You two know each other, Saber?"

Archer lightly nodded his head so that he could ignore the urge of covering his ears. Was  _anyone's_  voice that high-pitched? Maybe Illya, but still. His new Master was, from the looks of it, a  _teenage_ girl. How was it that high?

At the same time, Saber didn't have Excalibur in her hands, thank goodness, but her shoulders were tense anyways. "He was both an ally and enemy in the previous Grail War I fought, milady." Her voice had already shed the shock in exchange for grim tension, but she still had her fists clenched. "Are you  _really the_ Archer I know? From the Fifth Holy Grail War?"

With no other words to express his disbelief, Archer said, "If I wasn't, I'd walk up to Gilgamesh and kiss him while dragging my past self over to take pictures."

Saber's shoulders relaxed as understanding bloomed in her eyes. "I didn't take you as a man who would do that so easily."

Archer let himself laugh. The irony in how he was summoned again, just to meet the sword who started everything for him. "I don't think I'd like the idea either."

Saber smiled wryly at him. "As strange as the circumstances is, it's good to meet you again, Archer." She offered a hand towards him. "Welcome to the new world."

Archer reached out and grasped it, shaking firmly. "It's good to meet you again too, Saber."  _Without killing one another_ , was left unsaid. "But," he blinked, "new world?"

Saber smiled and once Archer turned around, the other girl was already on her feet, brushing off some dust from her dress before smiling at him. "Well," she said gently, "How about we bring you inside the house and get you something to eat, Archer-san?" Her smile was hesitant, almost like Sakura's. "I can make some sandwiches."

It wasn't the most expected welcome, but it was a start.

Archer already decided he liked this girl better than Rin from first impressions alone.

* * *

The second thing Archer couldn't help but note was how  _open_ his new Master was. Rin wasn't a bad Master per say, simply reckless and prideful when it came to her skill as a Magus. It still hurt remembering what he had to do to help her win the Holy Grail, and getting on the rough sides of both Lancer  _and_ Gilgamesh made the memories all the more sour. It hurt not being able to tell her that he was a Shirou she once knew.

Still, Tomoko didn't ask questions. It began with a simple invitation into her home, watching her work around the kitchen with the occasional fumble, and hearing her talk with Saber that confirmed his suspicions.

His new Master wasn't a Magus. If anything, she was a pure-bred civilian.

But the energy she was emitting, the world he and Saber were now in, it was  _all_  different. It didn't help his paranoia.

"I'm surprised you turn your back on me, Master, when I could easily put a blade through your spine if I was someone else."

That was all it took for Tomoko to stop doing her work, and to turn to look at him with a questioning eyebrow. "But you're not someone else, you're Saber's friend—"

"Ally," Saber corrected softly.

"Sorry about that, Saber," Tomoko amended with an apologetic smile. "But yes, Saber's ally, and you haven't done anything that warrants distrust now, have you?"

Archer, for the first time in a while, found himself blinking. She was trusting him that easily? "You're quite the strange Master," he said instead.

"That comes with the job description of 'ninja-serving pianist," was the musing reply back. "Still. Not 'Master,' Archer." Tomoko turned back to the stove to focus on cooking eggs, but the approving smile on Saber's face was unmistakable. "You can use my name. I'm not magician material, but we'll be living together for a while now." A tilt of her head, and Archer could see the soft sparkle in her blue eyes. "I'm Tomoko. Welcome to my house, Archer."

For once that entire day, Archer's chest felt strangely warm from the new connection.

* * *

Nagareboshi Cafe was a welcome change of pace. Not exactly "salvation" from his previous work as a Counter Guardian, but it was close. For once, there was no Holy Grail to destroy, no annoying blue Lancers to fend off, and there were no immediate  _fights_ to handle.

Even if he had to deal with the massive number of Assassins — no,  _ninja —_ occupying his customer base. Cooking was an alright distraction, but the  _massive_  amount of natural energy in the air could've been choking to anyone inexperienced.

He did not want to start thinking on the energy that summoned him in the first place, or how it seemed to leak out  _every single time his new Master played the piano._

Still, Tomoko didn't seem to mind, if her flying tackle hugs to a few ninja were any indication. Saber's response to the situation was a mere shake of her head and a mouthed, "This is normal."

"How normal?"

"Her best friend is a ninja and her father is a retired one."

Archer decided to not ask any further. Seeing Saber in the best approximation of a butler outfit was a good enough sign to.

Everyone was courteous. It all seemed fine. It felt nice to smirk without anyone calling him out.

* * *

The first time Tomoko said those three words, he thought he was dreaming.

_Archer?_

_What is it?_

Mental dialogue had become common by the time the moment happened. Even on the quietest of work days, Tomoko was a courteous Master who didn't ask for things unless she absolutely needed it, and even if it was annoying the first few times from her being too hesitant, Saber's happy demeanor around her said otherwise. It was the most respect he could ask for, being a Heroic Spirit, so the least he could do was humor her when she did prod for something on the rare occasion.

 _...Well._ Her mental voice cracked.

Archer absently wiped down a wet dish in the sink. The silence meant she was in thought, probably overthinking and needing advice. Just in case, he made sure to keep the mental link private enough so that it didn't accidentally include Saber. The first few times Archer overheard Tomoko and Saber converse was... something. Private and he was being a bit of an asshole in not diverging that fact. Then again, his Master was a civilian. Like Sakura, but not Rin.

_You don't have to be hesitant, Tomoko. I'll be frank with you — we've lived together long enough to where I don't believe you have to be so quiet. What is it?_

A pause that hinted at some kind of fidgeting followed, and Archer waited. It wouldn't be right to yell or anything. He was washing dishes, so there was no rush.

_...I just wanted to tell you something._

There was some progress.  _Yes?_

_...Um. Don't laugh?_

_Of course not. What is it, Master?_

_Iloveyou._

He blinked. His hearing must've been fooling him, or his language comprehension, because through the emotional bond, there was an unmistakable outflow of embarrassment and disbelief.  _Repeat that?_

Something along the lines of  _uguuuuu_ followed. He couldn't help but hope he was deluding himself, because the embarrassment flowing into the bond was far too heavy.  _J-Just wanted to say, "Thank you," Archer. And, well._ Another small pause. Archer could already guess that her cheeks were turning pink. Then the three words dropped.  _I love you._

Archer couldn't help but drop his washcloth.

Saber was passing by behind him, just to glance at his shaking hands over his shoulder and chuckle. "She finally said it, hasn't she?"

"What?" he choked out.  _Master? Are you fooling around right now?_

_Nonononono, NO! I really mean it! You've been here for a while, helping Mama, Papa and I a lot, so I really do mean it! You're amazing, Archer!_

Fuck. The innocent tone and the panic that followed all went into the final conclusion of how she meant  _every_  single word.

How did such a girl survive? Even better, how did she find this acceptable timing?!

Even in this world where there was no other Servants, this girl was going to be the death of him. His cheeks were already starting to burn and he turned away to not focus on Saber's teasing smile.

"Our Master is quite affectionate, so with that said, welcome to the ranks, Archer!"

"Oh, shut up, Saber," Archer muttered into his hand. Being a socially inept teenage boy again was not a good feeling.  _Tomoko?_

_Uh, yes?_

_Please reserve that for when you're_ physically  _in front of me. And when there's no one else around._

_...Was that too soon? I'm sorry!_

Archer suppressed a sigh just as Saber looked away, shoulders shaking.  _No, no. You're simply far too careless with your words, Master._

_Is that a bad thing — wait. Oiiiiii. What did I say about calling me Master, Archer?_

Archer rolled his eyes.  _You're quite the silly girl, Master._

 _Hey hey HEY, I know that already and I'm proud of it!_  A pause followed before she added a quiet,  _I'm short, but I can still be proud of that._

Huh. Extra bit of material to use and the first bit of sass from his usually kind Master. Tomoko was accommodating, but never really one for comebacks. Until now. What a Master he ended up with this time. Now how to calm down the organ in his chest...

Another day to tackle in the cafe's kitchen, ignoring Saber's laughter.


	10. "Are you happy?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: Saber gets a chance to reflect now. Healing Over Time AU thing, here we go.

_Sparkle 10: "Are you happy?"_

The first time she asked, Saber was somewhat torn.

"Saber?" Tomoko's voice was high-pitched no matter what her current emotion was. Even when calm, it was easy to pick out in a crowd. "Are you happy right now?"

Had anyone really asked her that before?

They were in the middle of gathering sweets for a delivery, and Saber found herself pausing in her work of wrapping a muffin.

"I'm not sure," was her honest answer, but the sudden hug bestowed onto her by her lady was a comforting gesture. She did her best to smile down at her new Master. "But I'll be alright, Tomoko."

"If you say so. I'm not going to stop hugging you, just to let you know."

"I'm well aware."

"You don't mind?"

"I wouldn't be hugging back if I did."

"Oh."

The second time was about a few months into Saber's stay with the Hoshino Family, right after the weekly spar with Judai and Sakumo. They were good opponents despite their being retired. It was enough.

"Saber? Are you happy?"

Saber took a bit more time to contemplate the situation before giving her lady that same smile from the first time. "I think so," she said, reaching over to give Tomoko a side hug. "Don't worry."

Tomoko's disbelieving expression said otherwise, but she still accepted the gesture by leaning into Saber's side. "Okay."

The third time was when Archer had just been summoned, and the worry in Tomoko's blue eyes was unmistakable. There was so much she could've said, but Saber wasn't even surprised she went with that inquiry. Sure, it wasn't even the same question, but Saber still understood.

"Saber? Um, are you okay?"

"Yes," Saber said firmly, smiling before leaning in to press a soft kiss against Tomoko's brow, onto the space her bangs exposed. She could simply hope that it was comforting. "Right now, I'm happy, Tomoko. There's no need to ask."

Funnily enough, the girl had turned a bright pink once Saber had pulled away, squeaking from the embarrassment. Her hands were flailing and the best approximation for the sounds leaving her mouth were, " _Awawawa,"_ and " _Waaaaaaahgu."_  It was both adorable and sudden, but Saber pulled her close and held on in a hug nonetheless. This was the closest to companionship she'd had since Shirou and Rin, and she wasn't planning on letting go.

"Saaaaaaber..."

"It's alright. I love you too, milady."

" _Muuuuuuu."_

* * *

"Archer?"

"Hm?"

"Are you happy right now?"

Yet again, the white-haired Servant was struck speechless while cooking, and Saber rolled her eyes, hiding a snicker while passing by to pick up an order. "Our Master is often like this. You'll quickly get used to it, Archer."

"How soon is that?"

"When you admit that you're already cooking an omurice for her lunch."

An egg flipped through the air to land back onto the nearest saucepan. "I have no idea of what you're talking about."


	11. With a Lancer

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: Things don't exactly work out when you try to fit three or more Servants in a story. So, Diarmuid shows up! Because I can't help but feel bad for how he goes in Fate/Zero. So there.

_Sparkle 11: With a Lancer_

The first time I found myself floating in my dreams, no one was at my side. It was all white, with no one around. All that was on me was my own hands and legs, and the flowing white dress on my person.

I wasn't expecting to have a companion the second time.

* * *

"…"

"Um."

The man opposing me kept staring. His ashen gold eyes were focused on me so much to the point I felt myself fidget. And that mole under his right eye, it felt different. It wasn't like Kei's mark that was under her left eye. This one felt  _cursed_ , in a way, and yet because of this being a dream and my own chakra coming up to combat it, I knew its power wasn't affecting me. The dark green armor and two lances in his hands though…

Was he a Servant? Like Saber?

"Hello?" I tried gently.

The man jolted, eyes widening before softening in my direction. It was as if the light had come back to his eyes in that moment alone once he focused on me. "Excuse me, milady," he said smoothly, bowing his head. "I was simply at a loss for words. I was not expecting to be called here."

"Well," I found myself giggling nervously into my hand. Don't tell me I had another Knight around, and in my dreams too. It took way too long to curb Saber's habits. "I guess that makes two of us? Because I usually go to sleep without any dreams. You're the first person I've seen here in a long time."  _In a very long time, actually_ , I thought, but didn't voice.

"I see," he said, raising his head to make eye contact again. Again, he was back to staring, and I found myself holding my breath. "You're… you're not affected, milady?"

"Um," my voice cracked from the confusion. By what? The spot on his face? "By your mole? No. And um, I know we just met, but you don't have to call me 'milady.' I'm just a civilian girl, so you don't have to drop that kind of title for me."

Those ashen-gold eyes widened again before a soft smile came over his lips. "I see," he said, and the hint of gratefulness was hard to miss in his voice. "I am humbled by your presence nonetheless, milady. Excuse the title, but I find it fitting. I must have good luck, for you are the first woman in a long while for myself to not be affected by this curse." He let go of one of his lances, rubbing the right side of his face with a forlorn expression. "It is something I cannot help."

Welp. Here was another set of unbridled issues bundled into the mold of a person. Had  _anyone_  given this person even a bit of respect without being manipulative? The visual implications already didn't look good. "If it helps anything, you seem really nice and I'm not aiming for anything, just a talk?"

The surprise was back in his eyes again before he laughed softly. "That would suffice, milady. Let me introduce myself." He put a hand to his chest while bowing his head. "Lancer-class Servant, Diarmuid Ua Duibhne, first warrior of the Knights of Fionna. And you are?"

_Whoa. Another Knight. And Fionna? Um. Politeness, please work with me, I don't want to offend him. Even if I don't know the legend where he came from._

I took a small breath and put on a small smile, taking a bit of my dress to curtsey in return. "Hoshino Tomoko, pianist of Nagareboshi Cafe and civilian friend to Team Minato. It's nice to meet you, um, Diarmuid-san?"

Diarmuid raised his head to blink at me. "Tomoko-sama, you do not have to use '-san' for a Knight such as myself. 'Lancer' or 'Diarmuid' is sufficient."

Er. "I-If you don't refer to me with '-sama' in return, Lancer?" I offered instead, heat flooding my face. "Because I'm not exactly a 'Master,' really."  _Aside from being with Saber, but let's not bring that up right now._ A nervous laugh left me, because god, I was still not used to this. "I said it before. I'm just a civilian girl more than anything else, and I'd like to see you as an equal, not just a Servant."

"Oh," he said, and a small surprised laugh left him too as he put a hand to his chest, bowing slightly in acknowledgement. The sound reminded me of Papa's chuckling with how soft it was. "As you wish, Tomoko."

A warm feeling flooded my chest as the smile on my face grew. "Thank you, Lancer. Or is your real name okay?"

Diarmuid gave me a small smile in return as he straightened his back to stand tall like before. "Either is fine."

"D-Diarmuid it is! I-It just feels awkward saying, 'Lancer,' 'Lancer,' all the time." I don't even know when I raised my voice to a high-pitch, but once the words left my lips, I found myself covering my mouth. "N-Not that either name is a bad thing, but Diarmuid, your real name sounds nicer and I don't want to make you uncomfortable, really, you'refine, I'mjustbeingweird, soI'llshutup—"

Diarmuid blinked before raising a hand in the air towards me. "Tomoko." That same smile was on his face as he shook his head. "You do not have to get so excited. You are fine." He chuckled again, but this time, the sound seemed mournful. "Much better than my previous Masters, to be completely honest."

"Oh." I took a few steps towards him, already feeling the temptation to hug him. Why was it that the next Knight I had to meet had to look so sad? Better question. This was only the  _second_  Servant I was meeting, so then why did it seem like all Servants had their own issues that  _weren't_ resolved with proper therapy?!

Diarmuid sighed quietly to himself.

Instead of going with that previous train of thought, I asked gently, "Are you okay?"

"…Pardon?" There it was. The same shock that I originally saw in Saber's eyes was now in Diarmuid's, and he gaped at me. "Mila—Tomoko, why do you ask?"

Honesty it is. "Because you looked upset and I'm tempted to give you a hug?"

A pale pink covered his cheeks for a single moment before he shook his head. "I do not believe it is something that can easily be helped, milady." He lowered his head, not meeting my eyes anymore. "And excuse my rudeness, but I would like to refrain from physical contact."

Er. Hey. Excuse me,  _what_ was so rude about that? The simple fact that he had gone back to the "milady" title said everything. This person  _needed_  a nice and respectful talk. "Th-There's nothing wrong with that! I just wanted to ask!" I took a few steps back, shaking my head all the while. "And besides. We're together right now, here in…in…" I paused before going with it. "This white space dream thingie?"

Diarmuid gave me a single long look before turning away and snickering quietly to himself, covering his mouth with his hand in his best attempts to hide it.

Ha. I was getting better at having people laugh at my self-deprecating jokes! Yay!

"I know, I know, my language can be a bit weird, but hey!" I sat down onto the ground as best as I could, ignoring the white all around us before patting the spot next to me with my hand. "We can talk about whatever you'd like, Diarmuid. Because last I checked, we're not in a Contract as Master and Servant. We're just two people, stuck here, so let's pass the time?"

That did it. Finally,  _finally,_ he turned to meet my eyes, and those ash-gold irises flashed with something. "I may not have much to share, Tomoko."

He used my name. I smiled anyways. "I still would like to get to know you, Diarmuid. We have time. Let's just spend it in peace?"

Diarmuid continued to stare at me, in amazement or shock, I didn't know. Then, he nodded, striding forward to sit down next to me, putting his two lances to the side. "How about you lead, my lady?"

I pouted and found myself reaching over to pinch his nose. "Diarmuid. No 'lady' things, please. If you keep doing that, I'm gonna boop you."

"B-Boop?" he echoed, sounding a bit congested thanks to my blocking one airway of his. "What is this 'boop' you are referring to?"

I rolled my eyes and let go of his nose to instead poke the top of his head. We had a lot to talk about. "Boop. The art of poking your nose or forehead! The closest to physical contact I'll give until you feel okay with hugs!"

Diarmuid gave me that same wide-eyed look before chuckling softly under his breath. "Are you always so spontaneous?"

"Mm-hm! I'm a fool  _and_ a dork and I'm okay with that!" was the only loud proclamation I had to reply in haste. "It helps everyone relax, and I'm not any kind of ruler, so weeeeee!" I threw my hands up in the air too, just because. Happy juice? Having someone to talk to in my dreams without wanting to kill me? Maybe it was both!

Diarmuid chuckled again. "How silly." The smile on his face was unmistakable. "Nonetheless, go ahead, Tomoko."

I nodded eagerly, because  _yes,_  he was actually doing okay in social interactions and not going all Knight-ly on me! "Well, let's go on with what goes on!"

"What a strange saying. Nonetheless, that would be alright."

"Yay!"

If not for his saying no to physical contact, I wanted to hug him right there. Screw modesty, everyone needs a nice hug! Oh well.

Diarmuid looked like he needed respect, so I'd be damned to not give him that. He deserved it, and it was the least I could do.


	12. White Rose of Gratitude

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: A birthday fic for a Fate fanartist I met through Tumblr, and an informal sequel to Chapter 11. The song that is mentioned in the story is Let's Just Live, from RWBY. I personally recommend Goldwin Productions' Acoustic version of the song on YouTube since the strings and piano come together really well. And personally? After so much darkness from the original Fate/stay night and Fate/Zero, I felt like this song was fitting. There's only so much apathy and darkness that goes on before something has to be said.
> 
> Please enjoy. And since I know you're reading this, a happy birthday to you, Usagi-san. I wish for your happiness and joy this new year. :)

_Sparkle 12: White Rose of Gratitude_

In a change that was surprisingly for the better, Diarmuid Ua Duibhne was starting to become a constant companion in my dreams. Before he came around in that white space, my nights were usually split into three categories. Peaceful dreamless sleep, memories of Saber's past life as King Arthur, and flashbacks of my time as Vy. Before meeting Diarmuid, I probably would've told you that dreamless sleep was my way to go, because it was better to see nothing than to be forced to watch memories that weren't your own all over again. More so when you didn't even have a choice in the matter.

Now?

His company was a lot better than  _any_  of the previous ideas.

This night didn't change that fact, because once I closed my eyes, I found myself in that same flowing white dress again, looking out towards the white space from before. And, well? Diarmuid was  _still_ clad in green armor and wielding those two lances of his, so he stood out quite a bit against the white.

"Hello, Diarmuid!" I waved at him.

Once I got his attention, he turned to me with that same smile. "Good evening, Tomoko." He bowed his head towards me in that same Knight-ly manner once I ran over. "It is good to see you again."

I couldn't help but smile and curtsey in return. Formalities had long faded for that friendly affection that nestled in my heart for the Lancer. "It's good to see  _you_ , Diarmuid!" I stood back up and reached over to poke his nose once he straightened himself. "Boop."

"Pft," Diarmuid gently pushed my hand away to lightly poke my forehead through my bangs in return. "Boop," he echoed.

I leaned back to cover my mouth, feeling the grin stretch my cheeks. It didn't even matter that he aimed for that one spot on my head. It was just all  _Awww._  This marked the first time he said it back. Progress! " _Hee hee hee,_  you're catching on quick!"

"With such a spontaneous lady as my only companion, it was expected, Tomoko." Diarmuid's ash gold eyes were sparkling in return, though, and I held back the pout towards the formal title to instead sit down on the ground. "Are we to talk as always?"

"Unless you want to do something else, yes?" I answered, patting the white space while folding my dress under my legs. "I could change the background! Dream and all!"

Diarmuid chuckled but shook his head, sitting down next to me. "The white is sufficient, Tomoko. I…" He paused, and his smile dropped for a quiet frown. His shoulders tensed, along with the grip he had on his nearest lance, and from the feeling alone, I waited. "I was simply hoping to consult you for some advice. If that is alright."

"Of course it is."  _You've helped me out more than you know._ I kept my voice soft and the farthest away from an excited high-pitch. This was already a rare moment and this wasn't the time to squeal or ramble. This was his moment. "What is it, Diarmuid?"

He turned his head away, letting me only see the back of his head and his messy black hair. "…"

 _He's hesitating._ I tried again. "Dia?"

The nickname seemed to have done something, because Diarmuid swiftly turned around to meet my eyes, and his cheeks were tinged a slight pink. "T-Tomoko, that title—!"

"I-I mean, we've been talking together for so long, Diarmuid, so, uh, I thought a nickname like 'Dia' suited you." I pressed my fingers together while trying to keep up a smile. The blush on my face was probably really obvious to him now, because the heat was flooding my cheeks whether I liked it or not. "If that's okay? We're friends, so we can talk, y'know. If you don't want to, then that's okay too. Just take your time?"

Diarmuid blinked slowly at me, those ash-gold eyes searching and unsure before focusing. "If that makes you feel more at ease, Tomoko." He bowed his head yet again. "My apologies for not responding immediately. I was simply at a loss for words. I…" He raised his head to meet my eyes again, a small and shaky smile on his face. "I have never been called so affectionately like that aside from my own current Master. So," he lowered his head, "thank you for your kindness, my lady."

Oh my gosh.

"Dia…" I reached over to gently move his head up, booping him again, this time on the head. "That's one more boop for you, for calling me a lady." The heat was still sticking to my face, but I found myself laughing softly anyways. "I'm glad you like the name then. But enough about that." I pulled back right after patting him softly on the head. "What advice do you want? Is it about your current Master?"

To my surprise, a darker pink overcame his face as Diarmuid scratched his cheek with his free hand. "To be concise, yes," he said quietly, and the soft twinge of emotion in his voice conveyed everything. "My current Master's birthday is coming soon, and…" he took a deep breath, his fist clenching around his red lance. "I am unsure of what to give to her. My personal feelings aside, she has many other Heroic Spirits around her to care for her, and yet she takes so much of her energy to care for me." I didn't miss how his free hand reached up to lightly touch the mole under his right eye. "To even try overcoming my curse."

Oh. This was something new. Hell, this was a side I had never seen of the Lancer-class Servant until now.

Had anyone else seen him this vulnerable?

But yep. The pink on his face, the small gestures, it all came together into one thing. It reminded me of how Kakashi looked at Kei. The signs were all there, but the hesitance was obvious. I kept my voice quiet and honest, because there was no other way to properly approach such a situation  _but_ in that manner.

"…Do you love her, Dia?"

The pink turned into a soft red. "Yes," he admitted with a wry smile. "With all my heart and being as a Heroic Spirit. But," he turned away, the smile turning into a deep frown. "Th-This is merely a what-if, Tomoko, but if my king heard of this—"

Wait,  _what?_ No!

"Dia, you don't have to overthink this!" Without meaning to, I reached over and grabbed his free hand in mine. No backtracking was going to be allowed in  _this_ space! "It's not your king you should be worrying about!"

"…Huh?" Diarmuid turned back to me with wide eyes. "Then, what is it?"

I shook my head and squeezed his hand in what I hoped was the most comforting squeeze I could give, smiling. "Just let me get this straight. You love your current Master, don't you?"

The red was back. "Yes."

"And you plan to serve her with all your strength, right?"

The blush had receded for a battle-ready expression as Diarmuid nodded.

"Then, why do you worry about your past king, Diarmuid? Your current Master is your lord now, isn't she?" I squeezed his hand again, because the look on his face paralleled  _both_ Saber and Kei all at once. I couldn't deal with that. Dia deserved better.  _My friend_ deserved better. And whoever was his King in the times before needed to  _apologize now,_ or, hell,  _grovel_ in front of Dia — no, Diarmuid for whatever past transgressions happened. All thanks to the simple fact that Diarmuid, right now, was  _still_ hesitating  _because of that King_ , even with his own heart crying out.

I didn't know the full story. I don't even know if I ever  _will_ get to know that story. But still. I'd be damned to let someone I care for lose something precious before they even realize it again.

"Dia." I pulled him in by the hand to lightly bonk his head with mine. "If there's anything I know as both a civilian and a woman, I don't think your Master will reject you. If she cares for you enough to try overcoming your curse and keep being with  _you_ in spite of the other Heroic Spirits as you say, you just need to tell her how you feel. She'll be alright with you." I bonked him again. "She'll accept you and whatever you have to offer."

_Kei and the others were alright with me. So, why not you and your Master?_

Diarmuid gaped again, jaw so slack to the point where I reached over to lightly push it closed. "Tomoko…"

"How about this?" I let him go to lean back on my hands, looking up towards that same ceiling of white. "Find her flowers. Show her something in those blossoms that's both simple yet symbolic of your feelings for her. Simple does it better than expensive these days." I winked at him. "After all, it'll be from you, Dia, and you  _are_  the charmer."

"Tomoko, I respect your opinion, but to be brutally honest, is that…" Dia paused his current deadpan inflection, averting his eyes. "Would that really be enough?"

"It's enough, Dia," I insisted, turning back to him to poke his cheek. Were all Knights this emotionally closed off? Because really,  _Saber_ worried me enough. As well as Kei, Team Minato, and every other ninja friend I grew to love. "But if you're still worried, I can give a recommendation?"

He flushed a light pink again as he opened and then closed his mouth. "…If that is alright," he acquiesced.

I smiled, looked up towards the ceiling, and decided. Singing seemed like a better option to get my point across.

The song was fitting for a Knight that needed to learn how to value his own life alongside his new Master's. For a Knight that needed to have love returned with  _love_ for once. Platonic, romantic, or familial. Anything worked.

I just had to say it.

The lyrics came naturally.

 _"It used to feel like a fairy tale,_  
Now it seems we were just pretending  
We'd fix our world  
And on our way to a happy ending.

_Then it turns out life_   
_Is far less like a bedtime story_   
_Then a tragedy with no big reveal_   
_Of the hero's glory._   
_And it seems we weren't prepared_   
_For a game that wasn't fair._   
_Do we just go home? Can we follow through?_   
_When all hope is gone, there is one thing we can do…_

_Let's just live!_   
_Day by day,_   
_And not be conquered by our sorrows._   
_The past can't hold us down,_   
_We must break free._   
_Inside we're torn apart,_   
_But time will mend our hearts._   
_Move onward, not there yet,_   
_So let's just live!"_

Dia needed to hear this at least. As a Servant, he experienced death before, and if our previous conversations were any indication, he wasn't unfamiliar to the sensation of dying again. That was hard. I didn't know what his previous Masters were like, but I still sang anyways. In the hopes he could find happiness with his new Master. In the hopes that he could start valuing himself too.

There was only so much negativity that one could spread.

There was only so much self-deprecation I could see when I was still guilty of that quality myself.

 _"When it feels like there's nothing worth living for._  
Everything is broken. The light's not there anymore.  
And the story takes an unexpected turn  
A friend is suddenly gone.  
We can cry our lives away,  
But if they were here, they'd say,  
'Go forward, you must keep moving on.'

_Let's just live!_   
_Just one day,_   
_Let's forget about our problems._   
_Let's fall in love with life,_   
_And just be free._

_The sun will never fade,_  
The night won't steal our day.  
Let's dance and love and laugh and let's just live!"

Once I finished and turned my head, Diarmuid was staring at me with the warmest expression on his face. "Tomoko, that was…" he shifted, and I tried not to lurch back once he got on one knee and bowed his head in that Knight-ly way. Just like  _Saber_. "As a proud knight, I am both humbled and happy to have heard you perform. Such a song warmed my brutish heart. I shall take your words to memory for as long as I live again."

Just in case, I opened my mouth anyways. "Are you really going to live, Dia?"

He raised his head, confusion in his eyes. "Tomoko?"

I withheld a small sigh and reached over to pull him into a hug. Of course. It hadn't stuck yet. No one had  _told_ him yet. Why were warriors not reminded of their humanity sooner? "Just promise me one last thing, Diarmuid, please?"

The space around us was moving. Either I would wake up soon, or he would. Our time tonight was coming to an end.

He tensed underneath my hold, but it lasted for a single second as a hand proceeded to gently rest atop of my head. "Anything."

"Please, Dia. Please  _live_. With your Master,  _live_  and please be happy in your new life. It's not all about fighting, y'know."  _Because I've seen Kei's eyes go dark already. I've seen Obito, Rin, Kakashi all steel themselves trying to protect me. I've seen my own blood. I've had enough of bloodshed and death for an entire universe._ I pulled away, deciding not to voice the last part and instead gesturing to my dress. "And try white roses. I think your Master will like that."

The last thing I saw before the white space fell apart was Diarmuid's surprised ash-gold eyes.

* * *

"—moko, Tomoko." A hand was shaking my shoulder. "It is morning. Please get up."

Saber's voice. I forced my eyes open to blink, feeling both parched and exhausted. Still, I rose up from my futon to give her a smile. "Hi, Saber."

The King of Knights smiled back before pulling me into a warm hug. "Good morning, Tomoko. Did you rest alright?"

"I-I think I did, but why?"

Saber pulled away to look at me, her green eyes searching and concerned. "You were shifting in your sleep. And, there was one more thing. I found it at your bedside when coming in today."

I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes. "What is it…?"

All desire to speak  _words_  left my mouth once Saber reached from behind her back to pull out a single rose.

A  _white_ rose.

Saber gently tugged on the single tag tied to the rose's stem via red ribbon. "Do you know these people, Tomoko?"

I took the rose from her hands to read the tag.

_My lady Tomoko, you have my eternal gratitude. It worked._

—  _Dia_

Oh my god.

_Thank you for everything!_

—  _Usagi_

Oh my freakin' god.

My eyes were already watering.

"T-Tomoko?! Are you feeling unwell?"

I shook my head, feeling the smile cover my face before anything else. The dorks. It was just one song, what else could I have done? Hell, how did they drop  _that_ off? That was so much better than anything else I prepared.

"I-It's nothing, Saber. I'm just happy."

"Because…?"

"I made a faraway friend happy. And that's good enough for me."

I tucked my nose in the petals and felt a laugh start to bubble up in my throat. Huh. The rose had a scent just as sweet as the wind coming in through my open window.


	13. Two Masters, Two Servants, One Song

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: A birthday sequel to the previous chapter for that same Usagi-san. The piano song played here is Connect, from Madoka Magica. I recommend marasy's cover. :)

_Sparkle 13: Two Masters, Two Servants, One Song_

The piano keys were comforting to the touch as the music flowed out as always. The quiet chatter of Nagareboshi Cafe around me signified yet another day at work, and I kept my eyes closed to focus on the specific memory needed for today's performance.

It seemed normal.

It only took a gentle voice speaking in my head for my concentration to falter slightly.  _Milady?_

There was no way I wouldn't recognize Saber's voice. She had that distinct regality befitting of her time as King Arthur, but since being summoned and becoming a part of my life, the slightest inflection of affection when calling for me conveyed everything else. And hey. It wasn't everyday that she prompted a telepathic conversation, especially on a work day.

The song was thankfully close to finished, so I carefully opened my eyes to glance over the black and white keys under my fingers absently.  _What is it, Saber?_

 _My apologies for interrupting your thoughts, but I wished to inform you that there are a pair of customers coming your way to the piano soon._ A pause followed before what felt like surprised amusement passed through our link.  _They claim to be friends of yours._

_It's not Kei or Hayate or any other member of Team Minato?_

_No,_ Saber said, and the bit of joy leaking into her mental voice was hard to miss.  _An old comrade of mine._

_Hm?_

Before I could think on it anymore, a chair was being pulled up next to me, and I finished the last chord before folding my hands into my lap and carefully turning around.

Ashen-gold eyes were staring back at me in incredulous amazement.

 _I believe you called him 'Dia', Tomoko,_ Saber finished fondly.

Green armor. Two lances, one red, one yellow, strapped to his back, albeit wrapped in dark violet bindings to not expose their handles. And the slightest indication of the mole under his right eye…

Could it—

"Tomoko," he breathed, and his shoulders were tense while staring at me. "I finally found you."

"Diarmuid?" left me first, before I shook my head and politely turned away. It sounded like him. It  _looked_ like him. Hell, from gut things, it  _felt_ like him. But that was impossible. We had only met in dreams. How was he here? Dimension hopping? Black hole? Out of some kind of desire to confirm reality, or to defy unconscious suspicions that were ingrained in me by my ninja family, I turned back to him and opened my mouth. "Before anything, please answer this for me?  _Move onward, not there yet?"_

If it was really  _the_  Diarmuid Ua Duibhne I had gotten to know as a friend, he would know the follow-up to those words.

The man blinked those same ash gold eyes at me in shock before his gaze softened. " _Let's Just Live."_

He remembered the song. It  _was_  him. I didn't even know how he got here, but he was  _here_. In real life. Sitting right in front of me. "Hi, Dia," I said breathlessly. "Looks like you found me in real life this time."

"Indeed I have," he said, smile working itself back on his face as he reached over to take one of my hands in his. "It is good to meet you in the flesh, my lady." He raised my hand to brush a kiss against my knuckles, and I tried to fight back the blush. Still so Knight-ly, even in real life. "After everything you have done for me, I had to come and find you."

"W-Was the kiss  _really_ necessary, Dia?" I protested instead, reaching over with my other hand to lightly poke his nose. "I told you before. Boop for every 'lady' calling."

He laughed loudly, happily as he put my hand down after one last warm squeeze. "Apologies, it is a habit. There is not much I can do to show my gratitude considering my brutish heart."

"Brutish, gentlemanly, bah," I waved off with a frown, poking his forehead now. The long black curl going over his nose was just as real too. Soft. "You're still my friend, brute or not, Dia. Quit putting yourself down."

He bowed his head teasingly. "As you wish, Tomoko."

I held back the urge to roll my eyes and looked to the side. And, wait a minute.

There was a girl lurking behind my Lancer friend. White jacket with black fasteners, black skirt, and… oh. Red Command Seals on her hand. The light pink covering her cheeks when glancing at Diarmuid only  _completed_ the picture.

I couldn't even find it in me to question the folded-back wolf ears and tail swishing behind her. Instead, I smiled and waved her over. "Hi there. Are you Dia's Master?"

"Oh," Diarmuid said with a swivel of his head, shooting the girl an apologetic smile as she approached before turning back to me. "My apologies, Tomoko, for not introducing her. She is Lady Usako, the one who…" Dia lowered his head, face already flushing a light pink. "The one who saved me and my heart."

 _Awwwww_.  _Now I feel like a mother-in-law. Or… is it a sister-in-law?_

_Either title is fitting for you, milady._

_Saaaaaaber._

_Hehehe._

"D-Diarmuid!" The girl jolted, her tail on end and all from the embarrassment before she nodded in my direction, a more relaxed smile replacing her original tense expression. The red on her face was obvious, but I politely decided not to mention it. "But yeah. I-I'm Usako. You might know me as 'Usagi' from the white rose. And you're Tomoko?"

"The one and only." I gestured to the empty side of my piano bench. "And it's alright, Usako-san, there's enough room for the two of you to sit next to me."

Usako paused, her gray wolf tail swinging back and forth behind her. "Are you sure?"

"Why, Usako-san, I believe it is yours and Diarmuid's first time here, isn't it?" I stood up from my bench to gently curtsey to them both. "I am Hoshino Tomoko, your pianist today at Nagareboshi Cafe in Konohagakure. And in honor of your visit to the Village Hidden in the Leaves and my meeting both you lovely people for the first time, you more than deserve a concert now, don't you?"

"E-Eh?" Usako was turning pink again. "B-But, this is too much, Tomoko-san, we just  _met_  you!"

Diarmuid, on the other hand, had gone silent as his jaw dropped slightly.

I sat back down on my bench to gesture to the seat again. "And? It is my personal work policy to give new customers a performance. I  _am_ the Civilian Pianist, after all. And," I couldn't help but wink at them. "For a new couple, it is all the more motivation to play something in honor of the new bond that is present."

Huh. Saber was rubbing off on me after all, because Usako let out a small, "Eep," at my words while taking a seat. Diarmuid on the other hand, flushed a light pink, poking my nose hard. "Tomoko." If not for his own blush, I would've taken his voice to be completely unamused. Right now? It was embarrassed deadpan. Hah. "You do not have to mimic my mannerisms to make your point."

I pretended to think on it. "Well,  _naaaaah_ ," I concluded, smiling at him nonetheless while reaching over to poke him back. "You and Saber both are Knights, I love you both very much platonically, so of course I'd take things from you two. So, boop!"

… _Master._

_Saber, it's the truth, so I hope you will get used to that._

What sounded like a fond sigh passed through the mental link.  _I love you too, milady._

_Love you too, Saber~!_

The Lancer simply rolled his eyes with a sigh while reaching over to wrap an arm around Usako's shoulders. She squeaked in embarrassment, but leaned into him nonetheless. "I take it that means you will not back down from playing for us?"

"Damn straight." I turned back to the piano with one last wink. "After all, for the newest happy couple, it's better to  _Connect_ now, right?"

Usako spoke up with a raised wolf ear. "Tomoko…"

I gave her a smile. "As thanks for making Dia happy, Usako-san. Please accept this humble offering."

Puns aside, all I had left was music. These two gave me companionship, even through dimensions and dreams. And Usako in turn made my Lancer friend into the happiest Knight he could be. The least I could do, in exchange for that white rose sitting in a vase atop the piano, was play them the best concert I could do.

I closed my eyes and simply let my hands fly across the keys.

Just for a fellow Master who shared my sentiments in trying to make their Servants happy.

_Congratulations on your new bond, Usako, Dia!_

_I wish you both a lifetime of happiness and love. May you both support and love each other until the end of your days._

If these two could keep smiling in the face of any future battles, after my song, it would be enough. For now, I would keep sharing my music, hoping. Believing.

The shared joy in their eyes when I finished gave me hope to do it all.


	14. Appreciate Kei Day

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: This was originally made back in 2017, two years ago, for Lang's birthday. S&S's plans have since changed from then, but I still look back on this day pretty proudly. Lang was happy too, last I remember. There's a birthday comic sitting around too, but the art has aged quite a bit. Oh well. Here you all go.

_Sparkle 14: Appreciate Kei Day_

It was difficult initially, trying to hide something from my reincarnation buddy. More so when she's a Tokebetsu Jounin and one of the best chakra sensors out there. And my own open, heart-on-my-sleeve demeanor.

Aaaand I know what you're thinking. No, no, it's not a world-shattering secret or anything that I was trying to keep under wraps, since keeping quiet about  _Kaguya_ was ridiculously hard enough.

Just…no on the aliens or any Plot-related reasons.  _No._

It was a lot simpler than that.

I was just trying to appreciate Kei's birthday. Not her  _actual_ birthday, by the way, since July 15th already had a birthday party in place almost every year to celebrate my ninja friend's presence, and that was plenty of time to show my appreciation.

This specific birthday was different. Very different.

This birthday was on November 20th.

I know you're scratching your head right about now, and I wouldn't blame you. But this was special.

Considering our shared reincarnation status, Kei and I essentially had two birthdays. I…just didn't count myself that much since my birthday as Tomoko coincidentally fell on the same day Vy came to be — September 24th.

The person I got to know as Kei…well, Gekkō Keisuke, the ninja, came to be on July 15th. The person she was before then, the one with all the memories and sarcasm, the "shut-in" as Kei put it — she started her life on November 20th.

Kei had told me the date offhandedly one day, when we were together catching up before October Tenth in the Narutoverse. I'm still not sure why she went about saying it, but it was still something I marked down in my calendar.

Even with…even with everything that happened since then, that wasn't going to stop me from bringing what I called, "Appreciate Kei Day," to fruition.

It started with telling everyone I knew first. Mama, Papa, Sakumo-jichan, Wataru-jichan, Hayate, Genma-san, Raido-san, Jim-san, Yamaguchi-sensei, Kakashi, Obito, Rin, Gai, Minato-san, Kushina-nee, even little Naruto. Sure, I didn't let them know of the true reason why I had this day in mind because reincarnation was weird and I didn't want to give my loved ones the biggest  _mind-f_  ever after October Tenth. That was another can of worms.

I just told them honestly, "Hey, could you all play along with something for me on the 20th?" Before proceeding to give them a verbal list of ideas for possible presents to give to Kei.

Kei didn't realize it, probably never did at that point, but there were a lot of people that appreciated her. Cared for her. Loved her even, if Kakashi's budding feelings and my own familial bond with her were anything to say about it. And October Tenth was hard on everyone. This was my way of mending the wounds, in a way.

But at the same time, I couldn't erase the feeling that if not for Kei taking the chance to tell Team Minato, Jiraiya-sama, and Kushina-nee about her "visions" beforehand, I wouldn't have done the same, and there would've been so many more lost.

If not for Kei, I don't know if Obito would've still been here. If Rin, Minato-san, Kushina-nee, or — hell, even  _me_  — would've been either. I just didn't know, because the future was weird like that, but even then.

I couldn't let go of the simple fact that if not for Kei, I wouldn't have hung on in the ninja world for as long as I did so far.

Kei was —  _is_  my best friend. The greatest friend I've ever known as Tomoko. Rivaling Josh and Leo even, to Vy.

So, the only way I could show her that, aside from the obvious tackle-hugs that she was getting better at averting (darn), was through this.

And hey. "Appreciate Kei Day" somehow caught on with it being kinda catchy in title.

The concept was simple enough. Since this year had November 20th fall on Kei's usual weekly visit to the cafe, I "conveniently" asked Mama and Papa to close Nagareboshi, whisking me farther than what I hoped was the limit of Kei's sensing range, just for the little search to begin.

…Maybe it was a bad idea to use myself as the finish line/goal post for the day, considering how twitchy Kei could be when it came to any harm on my or any others' parts, but I wanted to save the best present for last and my ninja friends were plenty distracting.

At least, I was hoping so, considering  _how_  protective Kei could get.

October Tenth was the first time in a while I saw her get so mad.

Well, back to the present, I'm not fully sure on how things went along on her end. All I did say to my ninja friends and loved ones was, "Try to distract Kei with warm thoughts and gifts when she's trying to look for me!"

Just so that they could show their appreciation on the aptly named "Appreciate Kei Day," and just because I don't think she's appreciated  _enough._

Call me overbearing or selfless or even  _strange_ , I don't mind either way, but everyone needs a day where they can see how much others can care for them. So, if it was through gift-giving, so be it.

Needless to say, by the time I stumbled upon her that afternoon, she was stuffing a new fuinjutsu scroll into the pocket of her Jounin blue pants with a long sigh. Whether to contain all the presents she received today or something else, I wasn't sure.

Heck, I couldn't even stop the happy squee leaving my lips when she turned to face me, effectively blowing my cover for all that it was worth, and her black eyes narrowed.

"Tomoko," she said simply. "Where were you?"

_Uh-oh._

I immediately hid the present I was holding behind my back as I tried not to fidget, plastering a smile on my face. "Well, um, hi? You found me?"

"Tomo-chan…" Kei paused, her voice caught between her usual sarcasm and fond exasperation that I had come to expect from knowing her for so long. "What's going on? Are you the cause behind…" she paused again, waving a hand in the air for emphasis. "Behind all the gifts I've been getting? Because everyone was  _really_ intent on keeping me from finding you."

 _Busted._ My smile became a bit shakier. "W-Was it that obvious?"

Kei raised an eyebrow at me, pursuing her lip.

I found myself laughing sheepishly, raising a hand to the back of my head. "Well, you caught me. And…welp, found me. Ahahaha…"

Kei sighed before striding forward, and I closed my eyes instinctively, expecting something. A retort, a yell, anything considering how frustration could be—

The last thing I was thinking of was a hand landing on my head.

"I'm not mad, Tomo-chan, just worried." I looked up, and Kei grinned crookedly, ruffling my hair for a mere moment before taking her hand away. "The last time you did a disappearing act was…was…" she paused before looking away.

Shit. I already was shaking my head, reaching over with my free hand to grab hers. At this point, all plans went right out the window as the heart resurfaced on my metaphorical sleeve. "I'm sorry, Kei, I didn't mean to make you worry again. Today was supposed to be…well," I laughed again, drier this time. "I-I had kinda dubbed it, "Appreciate Kei Day," in my head, just to not tune anyone in on this but us."

My reincarnation buddy had turned back to gawking at me now, clear surprise in her black eyes as her hand hung limp in my grip. " _Huh?_ " she said dully. "What the hell?"

_Okay then. Reference is a miss._

I let go of her hand, took a breath while stepping back, and then brought the bright present out from behind my back and into full view with the happiest smile I could muster.

"For you, Kei," I said softly. "For your past self being born today and for your current self…well, uh, this sounded a whole lot better in my head," I scratched my cheek sheepishly while still offering the gift. "For you being you."

Her eyes widened to the size of saucers.

"Happy Birthday, Kei," I finished. "Or…would Lang be better? Since it's your past self's birthday?"

If I didn't know any better, it was as if someone had hit my best friend over the head with a baseball bat, because her frozen stature wasn't giving me the best of signs. I inclined my head to get a better look while blinking. "Um…Kei?"

"…"

I lowered the present in my hands so that I could take a step closer. "Kei?"

Next thing I knew, my sandals weren't even touching the ground as my waist was squeezed tightly. It took all I had to not squeal from the surprise, but then again, seeing the top of my best friend's head was one thing on top of a bunch of other things.

"K-Kei?!"

Kei laughed almost heartily as the grip on me tightened. It wasn't enough to be uncomfortable, but how long had it been since she…

And then Kei had the audacity to start  _spinning._ I didn't even have the time to ponder the whole situation because laughter was already leaving my lips from the whole thing, my world swirling until all I could make out were blurs of flower petals and Kei's black hair.

"K-Kei —  _hahaha_  — heeeeey!"

I couldn't even feel the paper wrapping of the present in my hands anymore because it took all I had to just hang on and hug Kei back for dear life. And for not flopping around like a ragdoll.

But Kei was laughing. She was actually, dear goodness gosh,  _laughing._

I never thought I would say this, but I never wanted to unhear this moment ever again.

Why couldn't it last forever? Kei  _needed_  some happiness in her life.

Once the spinning had stopped, I had to blink the swirls away from my vision, only to jump again as soon as I was set back on the ground and arms encircled me in yet another hug.

I took a huffing breath in an attempt to calm the adrenaline. "K-Kei-chan?"

"Thank you, Tomoko-chan," was the soft, breathy murmur into my hair. "Thank you."

Immediately I found myself smiling and wrapping my arms around Kei's middle, tucking my nose in the crook between her neck and shoulder while snuggling her.

"Of course. Happy Birthday, Lang."

Kei made a soft noise caught between a laugh and a hiccup before pulling away to grin.

"Thank you, Vy."

My best friend was happy and appreciated. My job was done.


	15. Journal Excerpt

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: Originally written back in July 2018 on a whim, to celebrate Kei's birthday on the CYB sideblog. Suspend your disbelief, because Tumblr formatting didn't allow much and I didn't want to change what was there. So yeah. Here's the little thing for you to read.

_Sparkle 15: Journal Excerpt_

_What to Give to Kei_

(This line in particular is circled in thick graphite pencil, underlined, and highlighted with some small flowers to emphasize it as the title at the top of the page. The following words are found below.)

Hm. July 10th. And then November 20th. Kei has two birthdays, and I have no clue what to get her. She's a Chunin now, and I'm…

(There is some remnants of lines here that are scribbled, almost as if in embarrassment before they were erased vigorously. From the looks of the lines, they seem to make out vague insults before they blend in with the white paper.)

What can a civilian give to a ninja that they don't have?

What can I give to Kei?

…Um. This is harder than I thought.

(The paper crinkles a bit here.)

Food? Money? Stars?

Yeah, I can't give Kei another Wayfinder. That seems ridiculous.

Money just sounds like something cheap. Bruce Wayne didn't put up the best example.

(There is a small scribble of a chibi Batman here, scowling. A pointer finger is drawn to be poking said Batman's cheek, almost scolding from the gesture.) Sorry, Batman, but you have to admit, you're not the best example period when it comes to social interactions.

…Why am I talking to a fictional character in my journal?!

Oh well. The doodle is cute.

But back to the point! Darn it, me! Quit getting distracted!

What would Kei like? I know she appreciates my music, but she doesn't seem like a huge anime fan… Not to mention, her past self actually passed earlier than me, so she missed out on things and I don't know if I want to just  _ramble_ about said things on her birthdays…

Food  _could_  include cake, but I already did the Portal Cake for Obito. Maybe the Minecraft Cake? Red velvet sounds yummy — Ah, but I need to learn how to handle fondant, and Mama one time mentioned how it tastes bad… Whoops.

Maybe… Cupcakes could work, but then Haa-chan might eat them all. Ouch. Mochi is almost too obvious, and then tiramisu…

Um.

I'll need coffee. Maybe cheesecake for easy go-to? With a strawberry fruit sauce on top? Or I could do banana-nut muffins to make it simple and healthy. I don't want to risk ninja-diabetes…if that still exists here. I think it might.

Okay. So banana-nut muffins is one thing. Yay! That's one decision made!

But that still doesn't seem like enough…

(The paper crinkles here again as the writing changes to a different format, almost as if someone else was writing.)

**Tomoko-chan, you could just put on another concert. How about Pokémon? Or Yu-Gi-Oh?**

Hisako. Why did you need to take control of my hand? We could've just talked about it mentally like we always do.

(The writing becomes more quick and scrawled here, as if written hastily.)

**I got too impatient waiting for you to come up with something. Just make muffins, put on a concert, and put together a photo album for the final present.**

Eh? Photo album? Why a photo album?

(A line is skipped here, as if to indicate a pause.)

**For memories' sake.**

Memories…memories… HEY!

**You finally got it?**

Yeah! I'll just ask Miyako-bachan about it. Thanks, Hisako!

**…No problem, Tomoko-chan.**

(The entry ends past this line.)


	16. Letter from No One

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: More July 2018 things, here you go. This time from the POV of a pianist's Nobody.

_Sparkle 16: Letter from No One_

_A small folded piece of paper, found folded in the back of a specific photo album soon after October Tenth. Warnings for crude language, mentions of death and suicide, and some possible S &S spoilers. For CYB's 5th anniversary._

* * *

**Huh. I wasn't expecting to write this, but Tomoko-chan is asleep, so might as well take advantage of this. Just catch her tomorrow if she falls over or something, alright?**

(The paper crinkles here, specifically near the edges of the top right corner, almost as if the hand writing the following words had creased it.)

**Hey, Kei. Hisako here.**

**I know we've only talked a few times, but I hope you know me — well, both Tomoko-chan and I — to at least distinguish between my handwriting and hers. Of course, this is all in English so no other nosy ninja or some other douchebag can find this. Or read it. I hope.**

**Darn Japanese and using Engrish.**

**If you need to, then seal this up in a dark place, or even burn it, so that no one can take this away from you. I want only you to read this. You don't have to tell Tomoko-chan about this — this whole letter-ramble shit thing is really between you and me. It's up to you if you want to talk about me or not.**

**Anyways. Before I get all philosophical and dark on you.**

**You've done great, kid. 5 stars out of 5 for defying Kishimoto's bullshit that is Canon. You've come a long way from that lanky, sleepy girl who came into the cafe one afternoon. Even if I haven't seen you around as long as Tomoko-chan has. You've become a great ninja, you survived Kannabi, and you were able to keep Obito in Konoha. Sure, Isobu is going to be a hard shell to crack when it comes to knowing him, but** _ **I**_   **know you. You can do it. Tomoko-chan just left the first steps for you, with her music, I guess. He didn't seem to lash out, thankfully.**

**I trust you. Hell. I have a lot of faith in you, kid. Really. With all the heart a Nobody can have. And screw Xehanort and his lies about a Nobody being unable to have hearts. We can still feel. We can still act.**

**I'm not Roxas. I don't have a Keyblade, or magic, or anything really physically useful in my disposal beyond chakra. The Dreamer and Id are both gone now in exchange for Isobu, and I'm not going to pretend I understand or know what's going on.**

**But you're going to be okay.**

**Even when the Tenth passes. You've proven yourself over and over again, whether in training or in that one weird Chunin Exams match with Gai. What? You thought I wasn't going to jab at you?** _**Hah** _ **. You underestimate the power of "trolling." :p**

**Still, whenever Tomoko-chan says, "Daisuki," she always means it, y'know? She and I both mean it. You have a front seat in our hearts, and that's not going away ever.**

**You're a Special Jounin now. Judai-ji —** _ **Dad**_   **actually beams about you sometimes, about how you've come so far, but he worries. Mom does too.**

**Being a ninja means risking your life. Risking death again and again. We all know that.**

**And, I guess I'm writing this so that, just in case, if I ever do disappear like my counterparts did for you, I can tell you from beyond whatever grave there is to keep your chin up.**

**Don't try to purposefully**   _ **die**_ **. Or commit suicide, or just recklessly risk your hide for a village that might just be using you. Or I will seriously rise from said grave and yell at you at the top of my lungs for whatever vocal cords are worth. Kick your ass even, if I have to go that far. I have the Ultima Keyblade embedded in my memory for good reason.**

**You're not just a simple piece in a story, Kei. You're not just some little icky bit of trash. You're not just any other ninja.**

**You're Gekkō Keisuke, the ninja reincarnation who has family and friends that want you to stay.**

_**Tomoko-chan**_   **wants you to stay. To live. Because, if you're gone, she might —**

(There are some suspicious splotches here, almost as if water hit the paper for a mere moment. The indentations aren't deep, however, as if the writer wiped the water away before it could sink in.)

 **I don't want to think about what might come after I'm gone.** _ **Fuck**_ **, it's just painful to think about that.** (There is a small hole here, as if the pencil tore through the paper while writing.)  **And I did not mean to do that. Whatever.**

**I just wish I could see everything, from you and Tomoko-chan becoming adults, you possibly making Jounin — hell, even having students of your own. I wish I could live with you both until the inevitable, natural end. But life doesn't always work that way. Your old counterparts might as well be proof of that.**

**So, here I am. Defying any kind of fateful "death" bullshit and writing this, so you can remember this.**

**You're going to be okay, kid. Even if the missions drag on, even when you're far away from home, even when you're on the other side of the goddamn world, pick up that Wayfinder you have strapped to your arm, alright?**

**Remember. You have Tomoko-chan, your family, your team. You're not alone. You'll** _**never** _ **be alone, or so whatever God helps me. Never forget that.**

**And, if you need a reminder of the old world, ring Tomoko-chan up at the piano. She still misses you every now and then when you head out of the cafe. Piano is a wonderful distraction. Maybe you can pick up an ocarina, so that Lugia can fly again. That's an idea.**

**Heh. I guess I'm running out of space on this thing. Have to leave a few last words then.**

**Thank you, Kei. For doing what you have done. A ninja's work is ugly, but I know you've protected my charge more than I have in the physical world. And a Nobody just can't help but be grateful.**

**Don't forget your roots. Don't forget the little people.**

**Don't think you're wrestling Canon alone. You'll never,** _ **ever**_   **be fucking alone, you hear? I am completely willing to bitch-slap you from beyond whatever Afterlife there is if it means drilling that message into your head.**

**And hey. Just take care of Tomoko-chan for me when I'm gone, alright?**

**Kick Uchiha Madara's ass, or break any other Canon villain's legs for me.**

**You can do it. Just believe in yourself.**

**I believe in you.**

**Love,**

**Hisako**


	17. Remember Me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: A small drabble taking place in the future, where an unexpected reunion occurs.

_Sparkle 17: Remember Me_

Hisako wasn't expecting to see the library again. The surroundings were almost too clean, as if nothing had changed since she had passed. But judging by the windows outside, the mind was still as it was, so she just had to wait.

She was nervous, in spite of lacking a heart in her ribs, because it had definitely been  _years_  since she was last in the library. She didn't even know if the girl would even be open to seeing her again, after their last meeting.

Would she be happy to see her?

A few hours later, with the rising of the moon, her charge walked into the room with a broom.

Hisako's breath stalled in her throat, but the swell of pride in her chest was unmistakable.

Tomoko-chan had grown up into a woman. With the extra inches in height and mature look in her blue eyes, it was obvious the years were kind on her.

Hell. Hisako had to hold back the tears at the sight of her charge's  _long_ hair, because she was beautiful and as her Nobody, she already knew  _who_ and  _what_ made Tomoko grow her hair out in that specific hairstyle.

Hisako didn't even have to wait for Tomoko to notice her. The pianist only had to turn her head, and her hands stilled. The broom handle slipped from her fingers, falling against the library tile with a loud clatter. Tomoko's voice seemed caught in her throat as she gaped.

"Hi, dear," Hisako said softly, "Remember me?"

Tomoko's hands went up to cover her mouth as tears of her own were already bubbling in those familiar blue. The recognition was hard to miss in the blur. "H-Hisa…"

"You've been well, Tomoko-chan."

Hisako didn't even wince when her charge came charging at her in a hug.

She missed her too.


	18. Achilles' Other Heel

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: I don't know what this is, I just started Fate/Apocrypha the anime and out of all the Servants that are featured, I just had to take a liking to one Rider of Red. Then again, he's voiced by one Saitama from One Punch Man — it felt inevitable.
> 
> So, AU thing. Supported by Josh and Leo, because otherwise, I don't think I would've posted this. Think of this as another AU of an AU of Healing Over Time, where Tomoko summoned this specific guy after Archer Emiya by accident. Because there's no way she'd do it on purpose, and I'd like to think this takes place a few months to a year since Tomoko originally summoned Rider himself, and two years since she summoned Saber. So there we go. Tomoko would be 19 here, going on near 20.
> 
> More sanctuary for honorable Servants! And exploring the idea that said sanctuary leads one heart to be opened more than the others. :p

_Sparkle 18: Achilles' Other Heel_

"You are quite the strange person, Master."

"Hm?" The comb in my hand was steady as I lightly patted the yellow-green head lying atop my lap. "What do you mean by that, Achilles?"

The Rider-class Servant rolled his eyes, not even budging from his place on my lap pillow. All he did was simply reach up with his left hand, touching a strand of my hair. From the gesture, I had no choice but to lean into it. "You're not even a Magus, nor are you a warrior. I'd expect you to ask for a fight." The smirk on his face was obvious as he tugged at the strand, rubbing it between his fingers. It was hard to tell if the tugging was affectionate or teasing. "Instead you provide a home, food, and even your own lap. If not for knowing how sincere you are, I'd say you're spoiling me."

Yep. Teasing it is. Was I that open for it?

"Silly Rider." I gently brushed the fringe of green hair framing his cheek with my comb, finding it hard to hide the warm smile. "I like doing it and you're not objecting, so what are you complaining about?"

"Ehhhh, nothing really." Achilles closed his eyes, a content smile on his face. "Just thinking out loud. After my last few Wars…" he sighed happily once I combed out a particularly messy tangle, his breath relaxed and peaceful. "It's a nice change. To not have to fight." Achilles paused, shifting a bit so he could look up towards the sky. "Fighting was always something I loved. Hell, there aren't a lot of things I love more than combat. To rest…" he exhaled, and I couldn't help but smile down at him. "It is new."

 _Another customer satisfied. Hee hee._ Outwardly, I teased, "How long did it take you to come to that conclusion, O Legendary Hero?"

Achilles opened one yellow eye to stare at me, unamused. "The first time you called me in with the King of Knights to have lunch post-Summoning. When you had nearly fainted from lack of energy."

Welp. The nervous giggle on my part wasn't even intentional. "Are you still holding a grudge for that, Achilles?"

"Tomoko, you are my Master. Of course I'd be more than worried to find you almost drained from accidental summonings of Heroic Spirits. Especially when you are an innocent. Someone who hasn't even seen that much battle." He sighed again, this time in exasperation. Apparently he was miffed, but still going along with the conversation. "For my first real Master, you're quite the frail one."

That last sentence made me pause.  _What do you mean by "first real Master"?_  But it didn't feel right to ask. "To be fair," I angled my comb so that it could catch another tangle in Rider's yellow-green hair, "I wasn't expecting to summon another Servant after Saber and Archer." Those two were, in a way, handfuls. Happy handfuls, but handfuls. "And Saber has quite the appetite, Rider, not to mention Archer being a mom. The first time was supposed to be the only accident."

Life never did go the way you planned it.

"Hmph." Achilles opened his other eye to stare at me. I couldn't tell what he was thinking from the look in his eyes. They were at least searching. Probing. "Are you saying you don't want me here?"

"Nope." I gently brushed some of the spikes in his hair back with my comb and shook my head. That was ridiculous. Hero or not, he was my friend. "Don't say that. Now that you are here, there's no way I'd want you to leave, Achilles. You silly Rider." I put down my comb and gently poked the top of his nose. "You're a dork and a part of this messy family of mine now. So, boop."

The last part I left in my thoughts.  _I love you too much to let you go now, you insufferable hero._

"…Heh," he smiled, closing his eyes again. "Arturia was right."

My comb fell limp in my hands just as I picked it up to hold, my heart leaping out of my chest. Where did that come from? Better question. "About what?"

Achilles shifted again, his left cheek resting against my thighs. I couldn't help but entertain the nagging feeling that he did it so I could have a better reach over his hair. "You have far too big of a heart, Master. I don't think I've ever met such a friendly woman like you in my entire life, even back when I was alive."

Oh. This topic again. Was kindness so rare in these Heroes' time periods? I tightened the grip on my comb to reach over and start another stroke over his head. "There are firsts for everything, aren't there?" A giggle left my lips as he shifted again, opening his eyes to look up at me questioningly. "Oh, Rider. You silly Rider." I booped his nose again, and the laugh was already bubbling in my throat at the confused look on his face. In any other place, he could've taken me for my ninja friends, or the other two Servants back home. Bafflement was quite amusing to see on the famous Achilles from Greek legends. "Hee hee."

"Oi. When did this turn into a diss?" Achilles frowned, reaching up to tug at my hair again while batting my booping hand away. "Hell, Master." Another tug, this time on my hair ribbon. "What are you thinking about?"

"About you," I said honestly, not even minding my voice raising in pitch once a light pink colored Achilles's cheeks. It was the truth. And hey. The dorks always found the fastest way into my heart. The man who  _ran_ the fastest back in his legend was no different, even as a Servant. "Because y'know?" I brushed his hair again, softer. "I like being with you. Fighting or not. Resting or not." Without skipping a beat in the cheese, I booped his forehead, not even minding the heat flooding my face. There was no way I could deny my gut anyways. Or my heart. "So, Achilles?"

"Huh?"

The smile on my face was big enough to make my cheeks hurt. "I love you."

It took a single second for his face to turn a dark pink, and Achilles immediately shifted on the grass so that he was looking away.

Welp. I started this ship, so I had to sit in it.

"I hope Arturia-san told you about this too~!" I couldn't help but go in a sing-song voice, lightly patting the top of his head with my comb-free hand.

A hand covered what I could see of his face, and the response was muffled. "—Too good for the heart."

"Eh?"

"ARGH, FUCK!" Achilles sat up so fast to the point of possible whiplash, and I backed off as soon as he turned his head to glower at me. Apparently I'd gone too far in the cheese. Ack. And… wait a minute. Was he blushing? "Tomoko." He leaned in enough to bonk foreheads. Ow. "Those words are very dangerous to a man, do you know that?"

"Um," I said, caught off guard. "Sure?"

When did his voice drop a few octaves?

Achilles narrowed his eyes at me, one of his hands reaching over to cup my cheek. His own cheeks were still glowing that pink color. "You don't understand this? At all?" He scoffed under his breath, closing his eyes. "Shit. Looks like Saber was right about this too…"

I blinked. He was close. Like,  _really_ close. "What do you mean?"

His breath brushed my face as he opened his eyes to stare at me. "Tomoko. If I was any other man, any other suitor right now, what do you think this is?" It vaguely registered that his thumb started rubbing my cheek. "What do you think I'm doing right now?"

I couldn't even feel the comb in my hands. It must've gone somewhere in the confusion, maybe even fallen on the grass beneath us, and I could tell I wouldn't be able to find it in this situation. The heat was still on, making my face feel hot, and the lightbulb in my head was just as quick in heating up too. He was too close.  _Way_ too close. I could even see myself reflected in his eyes, and I didn't know what to make of it. "…What should I take this as, Achilles? Because, um. You're really close?" My voice cracked too. "Um…"

"Haaa…" With that loud sigh out of the way, my Rider Servant simply rolled his eyes, leaning in to press a kiss to my forehead. I couldn't tell if he was disgruntled or irritated, but the gesture alone made all desire to speak leave my mind. What the heck brought this on? The only people who did this kind of thing was Papa, Mama, and Saber… so why Achilles all of a sudden? Not even Archer got this close. This affectionate. "Silly Master," he muttered against my bangs, not even pulling away. "Even if a man is hitting on you, I have a feeling you'd just wrap their feelings up and hand it back to them, oblivious to what was really being said."

Muuuuu, what was  _that?_  "Hey…" I reached over to push at Achilles's armored chest in protest, even if my grip wasn't all that stable from the embarrassment. The pout was already on my lips without having to think on it. "Is this a diss towards me now? Because it feels like you just turned the tables on me."

"Ha." Instead of justifying that with a response, Achilles kissed my head again.

"Fwah…!" was the little noise that left my throat. My cheeks couldn't stay puffed in the face of  _that._  I was honestly curious about what was going on, but the heat that was the familiar blush of embarrassment was here yet again and my voice was cracking even more. Why couldn't I just use my long hair as a cover? Right, this ridiculous Rider was pushing it back. What was Achilles even thinking? Hell. "A-Achilles…! What's this  _for_?"

"Don't worry about it, Master," was the response, and a hand was pulling me in for a warm hug before I could say anymore. Armor was pressing against my chest, but it was hard to complain when a nose was resting against the top of my hair, breathing. "—almost like Ane-san."

 _Ane-san? Huh?_ I reached over as gently as I could, trying not to jostle his armor to lightly put a hand on his head. "Achilles?"

No answer. Achilles simply hugged me tighter, and I could feel my ribs creak. A breath brushed my hair, shaky too, and the hand resting on the back of my neck was warm even through the gloves. Desperate, if I could label it that.

I tried again, a bit gentler. "Achilles?"

"I'm sorry, Tomoko," he murmured finally, and the other hand that was draped around my waist squeezed. He used my name. Not the Master title, but my name. Something was up. "Could we stay like this for a bit?" Achilles paused, loosening his grip for a single moment before tightening it again. "After this, we can go home."

Oh. Something was definitely up.

But I could tell it wasn't the right time to ask. Especially if this hug was any indication. Achilles had his own story, outside of his old legend from that world, consisting of the things he'd experienced in previous Grail Wars. Of things I didn't know, from the time before I got to know him as my Rider Servant. It wasn't my place.

In a way, this was just like the first days I had with Saber.

I was only a civilian in the end with wacky chakra that allowed Rider to come here. That allowed Archer and Saber to be here. It was that chakra that allowed my Servants to not have to fight. And in the Narutoverse, it was a blessing.

I couldn't ask for more when my Servants allowed themselves to be vulnerable in front of me.

I adjusted my position so I wouldn't be sitting on my legs, instead relying on my knees to keep me upright. The answer was obvious, no matter what. "Aye. As long as you need to." I reached over to gently run my fingers through his green hair. It was a lot softer now thanks to all that combing, but we could brush it again later. I could already feel another tangle hit my fingers. "You're okay, Achilles."

"Thank you, my Master," was all he said, and then a cheek was pressing against the top of my head. I could hear the smile in his voice, as serious as it was. "Thank you."

I tucked my nose into the crook between his shoulder and neck, nodding. It wasn't everyday the near Immortal Hero allowed himself to be vulnerable. The least I could do was respect the moment for what it was. "Aye aye, Rider." I snuggled into him, doing my best to not jostle his orange scarf of a sash. He smelled of metal and a bit of sweat, no thanks to his armor, but it was nice to get a hug from him nonetheless. A majority of the time, I had to initiate physical contact with my Servants. Rarely did it happen the other way around. "I hope this helps."

"Heh." The hand that was on the back of my neck slipped down to my back, patting it softly through my hair. "You have no idea."

I squeezed him back with a smile. Here we go. This was the Achilles I got to know again. He was back. "Hee hee. I'm glad then."

Achilles pulled away just slightly to make eye contact, keeping his hands on my back. Even with the slightest tint of pink on his cheeks, his stare read confusion. "About what?"

I couldn't help but smile up at him. The dork. My dork. "I'm glad that I got to help you, Achilles. That's good enough for me." For emphasis, I reached up with my free hand and poked his nose. "So. Boop!"

The Rider blinked at me. "Pft." He turned his head away. "Hahahaha." Achilles laughed, closing his eyes in mirth before headbutting me in return. "You're quite the friendly Master." To my surprise, he kept his head rested against mine, and his yellow eyes were soft when staring at me. "You're amazing, Tomoko."

The blush was back on. I could tell even if I didn't have a mirror to check, not to mention how Achilles clearly meant every single word. "Says the famous hero with the chariot?"

"Oi," Achilles pinched my nose in return, eyebrow raised in good manner, "it's a good chariot. Xanthos, Balius, and Pedasos are good horses. Divine and immortal, so good horses. Xanthos can even serve as a good talking companion." He sighed, letting go of my nose before bonking my head again. Ow. "I'd summon my entire chariot to prove it, but I know you, Master. It'd be a toll on your energy and the last thing all us Servants want is for you to collapse  _again_." He shivered with a grimace. "Saber is terrifying enough, and that's when you were asleep."

"Eh?" I blinked at him. "When did this happen?" It didn't even matter that he mentioned a talking  _horse_. What had Saber said to him?

"Don't worry about it, Tomoko." Achilles stood up to stretch, shaking his head. "Don't worry about it."

Muuu. He was being tight-lipped. Reminded me too much of a certain Red Archer… I couldn't help but pout. "When you put it like that, I'm more inclined  _to_  worry, Achilles…"

"And I said  _not_ to worry about it." He put his right hand on his hip while offering his left to me. "Now c'mon. Let's walk home."

I looked around the grass, found the comb from before, and grabbed it before meeting his eyes again. "Aye aye, Rider," I said dutifully, putting my right hand in his left. He wasn't going to budge anyways. Once we had a grip, he immediately pulled me up, and with my comb-hand, I did what I could to smooth out the back of my dress. "You're going to be okay?"

"What sort of question is that, Master?" He smirked at me, eyebrows furrowed in that way that just screamed he was going to be trolling any second now. "I'm the ultimate Hero of all Heroes! I'm more than okay!"

"If you say so?" I agreed quietly, because it proceeded to register that he hadn't let go of my hand. Intertwined our fingers, actually. "But, Achilles?"

"Yeah?"

I tugged at his hand, feeling my face burn a bit more. "What's  _this_  all about?"

"Oh, that." Achilles turned his head away, his ears turning the slightest bit of pink. "About that…" It took a single tug for me to nearly slam my face into his shoulder. Once I caught up to him, I looked up to see him raise our intertwined fingers in the air. "Call it a bit of heroic pride." I was not expecting him to bring the back of my hand to his lips, kissing it softly. He was  _still_  making eye contact with me while doing so. "For a lowly hero to steal the heart of a lovely princess, he has to start with this, doesn't he?"

Ohmigod, he was  _smirking_. And did he…did he actually—?

His yellow eyes were  _so_ insinuating something. And if the kisses were any indication…

Oh gosh. Oh dear  _gosh._

"Achilles…?" I squeaked.

Achilles lowered our hands, still smirking. The  _ass._ The complete, insufferable, pompous  _ass._ He was enjoying this. He was enjoying every single minute of this. "Yes, Princess?"

Aaaaand he was using my childhood nickname. Goddammit. I was probably resembling a mouse in voice and a bright cherry in cheeks. Oh joy. I tightened the grip on our hands, taking a deep breath. There was no better way to go about this but ask directly. "Are you… are you trying to court me?"

"Ohhhhh! The clueless beauty  _finally_ catches on!" Achilles threw his head back and laughed, his green fringe flopping along with the motion, but all it did was make my heart pound all the more harder. "And here I thought with your hugging Saber, Archer, and your other friends, you'd never notice."

For once, I couldn't help but wish he said no. Because god, this was a first. I liked people before, but for someone to like  _me_  first—! Ohmigosh.  _Ohmigosh._ "A-Achilles…!" my voice was barely audible anymore as soon as he tugged me along to walk away from the grass and towards the streets. "Why me? I'm just a civilian girl…"

" _Just_  a civilian girl? Please, Master." Even with his back turned to walk, the smirk was still obvious in his voice. And he was still tugging on my hand. "No simple civilian girl would be able to summon and maintain  _three_ Heroic Spirits. Along with keeping up an occupation that any Hero would be vying for, amongst  _Assassins._ " He turned his head back to look at me, and it took all I had to not accidentally walk into him. Why did he stop? "No mere Demigod would fall for a girl like you."

Oh.

He was serious. Absolutely serious. I didn't even have to tap into the link that was our apparent bond of Master and Servant to know that.

I did my best to focus on the intricate artwork carved into Achilles's shoulder plates, my heart running a marathon now. "O-Oh," I said slowly. "Okay." The word came out meek and, to be honest, kinda pathetic in sound, but it was all I could muster. It was not an everyday occurrence that a Servant that you considered a friend just did a roundabout  _confession_  on you.

How could I respond?

A pause followed my words, and once it ticked on about a minute, I could feel myself fidget. The gloved hand covering mine tightened its grip. Achilles was staring at me, even when I wasn't returning the stare. "Tomoko. Could you look at me?"

"I-I dunno…" I gulped. "If I do that, it feels like I'll melt."

The mirth in his voice dropped for solemn quiet. "…Why do you say that?"

_Because it's you._

My reply was still meek, even when expressing my thoughts aloud. "B-Because it's you, Rider. Because I  _know_  that it's you, and with everything that's been said…" I ducked my head, doing my best to hide behind my bangs and the rest of my hair. It didn't help my heart that I probably looked like an oven had caught fire at this point. "I don't know if I can match up to you. You're  _Achilles_ , one of  _the_  heroes from the Trojan War, an amazing Rider Servant, and you fell for me…" If not for the comb in my free hand, I knew I would've covered my burning face with my palm. "I-I… I'm still reeling from that. Kinda."

The grip on my hand loosened just slightly, but a gloved thumb rubbed the back of my knuckles. "Should I take that as a sign you feel the same?"

My heart spoke first as soon as my eyes focused on the orange sash tied around his chest.  _Yes. A bit unsure, but yes._ It could've sounded like Hisako if I didn't know any better.

Instead of spoken words, all I could do was nod, just as meek as before. It was my gut feelings. I couldn't deny that. Not as Vy, and definitely not as Tomoko.

Silence reigned for a while soon after that. I knew I couldn't look up, but the grip on my hand was unmistakable. It was only when my legs started to feel weak from standing for so long that I tried anything.

I raised my head and carefully opened my mouth. "Achilles?"

The Rider Servant fully turned around to look at me, and I blinked. His cheeks were colored a dark red, his eyebrows furrowed in clear surprise, and his right hand was covering the lower half of his face. From his expression alone, it looked like he was just as stupefied as me. "Holy  _fuck_ ," was the muffled reply. "That was all it took?"

"Um," I raised my comb hand in the air to catch his attention, feeling just as flushed, "I'm sorry for being oblivious? I'm too used to physical affection and like giving it to friends and family, so there's that?"

Achilles slowly lowered his right hand to frown at me. "I was throwing hints since the day you  _summoned_  me, Master."

"Oh." Whoops.

"You could've used a Command Spell to make me talk."

 _What?_  I shook my head vigorously, even if it jostled my hair. "No way!"

Yet again, Achilles sounded taken aback. "Why?"

_Because it's you._

"Because it's you!" I said again, louder. Controlling was ridiculous. No fucking way. Ever. The ninja were horrible enough with  _interrogation shit!_ "Even before this whole romance-mess-thingie, I don't know, Command Seals are out of the question! You, Saber, Archer, you're all  _human_. Demigod, in your case," I corrected quickly once it became obvious Achilles was glowering at me, "but still! I want to respect you as an  _equal_ , not as a familiar or something Mages apparently parade around like Halloween candy!" The last part was probably unnecessary, but it still left my lips once the scowl formed on my face along with the thought. "Mages from the sounds of things  _suck._ "

A pause. Then Achilles laughed softly and tugged on my hand again, and I found myself forced to taking a few steps forward, my nose landing on his shoulder again. Huh. This time, I was facing the orange sash side. "You're not wrong on that part, but you're going to have to explain 'Halloween', Master." The smirk was obvious again in his voice. He was definitely amused. "After the next few minutes."

Eh? "After what now?"

"Ha." Once again, a breath brushed the top of my head. "After this."

Before I could ask, Achilles pulled away to kiss me.

It was, to be honest, the fastest he had ever been. The kiss itself was not even a deep press of lips together, but a light touch rivaling a peck before he pulled away and all I could see was bright yellow eyes. "After I get around to not holding back anymore," was the following murmur. His other hand was stroking my cheek, leaving sparks of something behind with each touch. Electricity was the closest I could come to describing it. Ticklish, even. "Because now that I have confirmation that this is real, I'm taking it for myself." He was smiling. "Sorry, Master."

"O-Oh." My lips tingled with warmth once the realization settled in, just as my heart started speeding up all over again. It felt soft and  _real._  "Th-That doesn't really sound like an apology to me, Rider."

"Oi. Blame me for trying." His nose was lightly touching mine, and a giggle left my lips once he rubbed them together. It tickled. "I wasn't expecting to get results this soon. Not even Ane-san responded like you."

 _Ane-san again…_  Instead of pressing, I squeaked out a tiny, "I-I'm sorry for making you wait?"

Achilles sighed, kissing the top of my nose. Aaaah. "We're going to have to work on that confidence of yours, Tomoko. Especially if we're going to make this work." He rolled his eyes, exasperated. "You've got one big heart that doesn't include you. That's not going to help in the long run, and I'm one calling you out when  _I'm_  the Hero with the weak heel."

"A-Aye," was all I could conclude sheepishly. Nothing much else to say to that. I was going to have to get used to this.  _Once_ it registered in my head that this was real. This was actually happening. Actually  _happening_. "But I'll be relying on you from now on?"

"Silly Master." Achilles leaned in to press another quick kiss to my lips, making me freeze. Once he pulled away, I could see the whites of his teeth as he grinned. "That's obvious. I'll be in your care from now on too." His eyes were half-lidded and focused just on me, his voice dropping another octave to whisper. "If you'll have me?"

"As long as you don't go too fast?" Another nervous giggle left my lips. They were still tingly. "I can get motion-sick easily with your speed."

"Oh," he said lowly, leaning in enough for his lips to be brushing mine again. "I don't slow down that much, but I'll try. For my small princess."

"M-Mm." He  _had_ to pull the height card. Sheesh.

"So, Princess?"

"Yes?"

Achilles grinned that shit-eating grin of his, his green hair fringe brushing my cheek. "May I kiss you again?"

I could feel myself flush red. He was definitely teasing me. Instead of voicing discontent, what came out of my mouth was an embarrassed, "Y-You do know you stole my first two kisses in this life, right?"

"Wait, what?" That was all it took for the heat to disappear from the air. Achilles blinked, lurching back a bit to stare at me in shock. And was it just me, or was I hearing joy in his voice? "I was your first?" A nervous, boistering laugh left him as he gripped my hand tightly. "I thought it would've been someone like Kei or your other friends. Even Saber or Archer."

"No!" I couldn't help but feel flabbergasted. Where the hell did he get  _that_ from? "They're family! I love them, but not to the point of  _kissing_  them! I mean," yeah, my mind was catching up with my mouth now, "sure, I say, 'I love you' a lot, I hug people a lot, but when war risks them dying almost every day, I worry. So, I say that." My voice got quiet again from the honesty. "…It's the same with you, Rider."

He got quiet too. "With me?"

I poked his chest with my comb-hand. "Heel. Fighting in the Trojan War. Recklessness. And being a Servant who  _likes_  fighting." With each statement, I poked him. "You worry me too. Even before my heart started flip-flopping like hell over you. So there." I pouted. "You silly Rider."

Before I could poke him again for final emphasis, Achilles caught my hand in his. "We're both silly, Master," he breathed, "and I'm glad I got to be your first." He squeezed my hand, not minding the comb squished between our palms. He was occupying both of my hands now. Aaaah. "I'll do my best to not make you worry then. I'll protect you as long as this contract allows me."

I did not deserve this man.

"As long as you don't throw your new life away, Achilles." I couldn't help but smile at him, even if it was a shaky one. Another dork. This time, I could say he was my dork. My main dork. "I'd rather you be happy and safe first before trying anything. It's nice that you want to live as a hero like you did before, but I'd cry if you went without saying goodbye."

"Oh, don't worry about that." He was still close enough for us to share air. "I don't plan on saying goodbye when you're the one who makes this place home." A smirk was on his face even when I could only look into his eyes. Sparkling, happy yellow eyes. "So, can I kiss you now?"

My smile felt bashful when it was focused on him. Then again, it was hard to wipe away the blush on my face. "Go ahead, Achi."

He inclined his head at me, blinking. "Achi?"

"You call me Princess," I pointed out. "A nickname for you now is fair game, isn't it?"

Achilles grinned. "Hoh, so we're on that level now, aren't we?"

"Aye!"

"Pft. C'mere, you teasing princess." He just had to tug me once to close the distance. This time, I'm glad it lasted longer. Achi tasted of spearmint.

* * *

"So," Archer said dully, wet dish and towel in hand, "what were you two up to when you were gone?"

Achilles could not stop grinning. Even when walking home, he never let go. Right now, he was still holding onto my comb-free hand, and it took all I had to not look away from Archer's questioning stare. "Getting together?" I squeaked.

Saber poked her head out from the hallway to stare incredulously. "…Apologies, Milady, but could you please repeat that?"

"Uh."  _That's really hard. Achi…!_

If Rider caught onto my mental plea for help, he didn't seem to signal it. Instead, his grin widened. "I won our bet, Archer!" Achi cheered, raising our intertwined fingers all the while, and I could feel my face flush as Archer blinked. "You owe us a full-course dinner!"

"Wait, wait,  _wait_ , youbetonus?!"

"To be more precise, Tomoko," Archer interjected with a raised hand, "it was a bet around whether you would notice Achilles flirting with you. If he won, I'd make dinner. If I won, he'd be washing dishes for an entire month." He paused before adding a careful, "I guessed you'd take a year."

"I hoped by today you'd make it, Master!" Achi was humming while swinging our hands together. "And here we are!"

"What." I turned my head to face the other Servant nearby. "Saber?"

She was apparently glaring daggers at Achilles before turning to meet my eyes with a softer yet curter gaze. "I had no idea there was even a bet," she grumbled before stepping out of the hallway, arms crossed. "Rider."

Achilles stood to attention in spite of the massive shit-eating grin on his face. "Yes, Saber?"

Arturia-san tapped her foot, eyebrow raised at him. "Allow me to ask you one thing." The entire area seemed to get colder with the announcement, and I couldn't help but gulp. Thankfully, the paranoia was unneeded. Saber's expression evened out as understanding shined in her emerald eyes. "Do you plan to make our Master happy?"

Rider blinked before tugging on my hand and I couldn't help but yelp once my cheek landed on his armored chest. An arm was draped around my shoulders, and I could feel more than hear his proud reply through the vibrations. "The happiest she could ever be. More than even my father and mother could grant."

Holy shit.

Archer whistled in approval as he took a few steps back towards the kitchen, the dish in his hands fully dry now. "More than the sea goddess Thetis and your hero of a father Peleus? That's a tall order, Rider."

"Hey," Achilles squeezed me to him, and the heat dial could've been turned up to eleven with the tight grip he was bringing along. The slight inflection of seriousness in his voice didn't help anything. "For such a selfless and hardworking Master, she deserves the world, doesn't she?"

Yep. I didn't need a mirror to know my face was red. "A-Achi!"

Rider simply inclined his head in my direction, smiling while meeting my stare. "It's the truth, Tomoko."

"Heh," Archer smirked too as he finally reached the kitchen, turning around to face the sink and the small pile of dishes under his now free hands. "You're not wrong."

The first time that afternoon, Saber smiled. "Indeed," she said cordially, closing her eyes in agreement. "Although, Rider, if you ever hurt Tomoko in any way…" Her feet were already tensing in a far too familiar swords stance. Ack. "You know what is to come, do you not?"

"I have first dibs, Saber," Archer interrupted, sounding fierce even with his back turned. It was still kinda scary, even when he was holding a simple sponge and soap bottle. "Don't start making threats before me."

"You  _both_  have the first chance to kill me if I do anything at all," Achilles interjected dryly, raising his free hand in the air to make his point. A pause followed, then he added a small, "Aside from our Master's family and Assassin friends. Don't want to make enemies out of them." He shivered for a second, but held me tighter to him. "I don't plan to hurt her, and even if I do, you two can set me straight."

Saber relaxed her stance. "That is sufficient," she finally relented, before giving me a glance. "Tomoko?"

"Y-Yes?" my voice was still in a squeak.

Saber smiled again. This time, the gesture looked real and  _Saber_ -like. "I wish you happiness. Congratulations."

Archer snorted fondly under his breath following Saber's words, not saying anything else, but the sentiment was there.

If not for the current position I was in and the situation at hand, I was tempted to cry and hug both Saber and Archer right then and there. After everything Vy had to deal with when it came to familial flack and special others, it felt nice to have acceptance right off the bat. I could never take things like this for granted ever again. "Th-Thank you both," I said gratefully instead, bowing my head. "Just, thank you."

_I love you all so much._

It didn't have to be said aloud. Our thoughts were shared, and I didn't have to raise my head to know all my Servants were smiling.

"Now then!" A hand was touching the underside of my knees and a yelp left me once there was a sweep and I was looking up at the proud smile of my Rider. "If you'll excuse us, Saber, Archer, I have to go appreciate our Princess!"

 _Holy shit_ , he was carrying me. Bridal-style.  _Holy shit._ "E-Eh?! What's this about?!"

Saber was rolling her eyes. "As long as our Master can still  _stand_ on her own two feet by tomorrow morning, Rider. I can handle breaking the news to everyone else in the meantime."

"Be sure to carry protection, Achilles!" Archer called after us.

 _The fuck are they insinuating?!_ "Eh?!"

Achilles was still wearing that proud grin of his. "Got it!"

" _Ehhh?!"_ I had to hold back my squeal of surprise once my Rider of a boyfriend started sprinting. "Achiiiiii! No running in the house!"

All I could hear past that was Achilles and Shirou's shared laughter. "Just  _run_  with it, Master!"

"I worry more  _because_  of that! And that was a horrible pun!"

"Oh, it's fine!" Achilles was humming, even when nearly crashing through the doorway of my room. "Besides." Once my feet could find refuge in the ground, a hand was slamming itself near my head against the nearest wall. My heart leapt out of my ribcage once my stomach reoriented itself after a few seconds. Achilles was leaning down towards me, still smiling. His voice had dropped a few octaves, his breath brushing my face. "I have you all to myself for now, Master. I'm going to enjoy this as much as I can."

"A-Achi—"

A gloved hand brushed some stray hairs away from my face, and that was the last bit of peace I got. His lips easily pressed against mine once the latch of the door settled in, and that was it.

The rest? Let's just say it could stay behind the closed door of my room.

We didn't need protection because thankfully, Rider still knew when limits were hit and when "no" meant no.

* * *

"Hey, Archer?"

The man formerly known as Emiya Shirou grunted, not even pausing in his work of cooking stew. "Yes, Rider?"

"You're okay with this? Cooking dinner?"

Archer smirked, throwing his head back to meet Rider's yellow eyes. "I lost the bet. So I have to uphold the conditions we agreed on. Or are you backing out now?"

Rider grinned back, arms crossed over his T-shirt as he shook his head. "Nah. It was a good bet. And hey."

"Yeah?"

"Thanks. For supporting Master and I."

Archer smiled. "Least I can do. You make Tomoko happy. Besides," he cut some onions, being careful of not letting any bits of it fly into his eyes. "I'm not the one you have to worry about."

"Huh? Who am I supposed to worry about then?"

He rolled his eyes while putting the cut onion away, gently grabbing the nearest slab of chicken breast to start cutting into bite-size pieces. "Tomoko's parents and friends." He hid a snicker at the thought. "Some ninja would probably like to interrogate you for charming their pianist."

Achilles faltered for the first time that day, nearly tripping over himself while leaning against the wall. "Well, shit."

Archer threw his head back and laughed.


	19. Value Me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: A drabble for S&S Kakashi, and how his feelings towards Tomoko nearly parallel his CP counterpart if not for a few select people.

_Sparkle 19: Value Me_

"Neh, Kakashi? Could I ask you something?"

He didn't look up to meet her gaze, but still lowered the kunai in his hands as a way of showing she had his attention. "What is it?"

Tomoko inclined her head at him, a small and uncertain smile on her face. "It's going to be a little silly."

"And that's fine."

A small pause. "You sure?"

Kakashi held back a sigh and raised his head to finally make eye contact, as uncomfortable as it was. "Yes. What is it, Tomoko?"

The girl gave him that same unsure smile. "What made you agree to living with us anyways? With Mama, Papa, and I? Isn't it a bit…boring around here for you?"

He wasn't expecting that. If anything, life around the Hoshinos was anything  _but_ boring. And considering the almost constant slew of guests visiting, from Obito to Kei to even Fuse-san, it was  _more_  than what the old Hatake Compound could account for. The fact she was asking was strange enough.

His old home was empty. The Hoshino home was  _alive_. That was the difference.

He would have questioned it more if not for the unsure look in her blue eyes.

Kakashi sighed for real before reaching over to flick her forehead.

Tomoko yelped, mouth already opening to protest, but he beat her to the punch.

"It's in no way boring around here, Tomoko. Dad and I started living here because your family gave us a place to be  _us_. You helped remind us that we're human too. You  _gave_  us a home. So quit doubting yourself."

Tomoko's eyes expectedly filled with tears. "K-Kashi…"

He hid a snort to poke her forehead instead. "C'mon, don't cry now. Let's go train. We still need to work on your stamina."

The girl didn't even hesitate in taking his extended hand this time. That was good enough for him.


	20. Unbind Me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: Another drabble, this time for S&S Obito, exploring his feelings on what has changed from the original canon that was dictated by Kishimoto.

_Sparkle 20: Unbind Me_

Before meeting them, all Obito had was Rin-chan. His daily routine wasn't all that noteworthy either. Going to the Academy, doing his best to impress her, and training to be the Hokage before heading home to an empty apartment. Granny couldn't care for him forever, and when she did pass, no one but him attended the funeral.

He wasn't expecting things to change.

"Hi, Obi! Are you here for the usual song, or do you want something else? It's on me!"

Tomo-chan's smile never seemed to change, even when it did waver in the face of other things.

"Tomo-chan, quit worrying."

"A-About what?"

Obito held back on giving her a noogie, instead pulling her into a side-hug he had seen Kei do so often before. It was time to take a few cues. "About helping us enough. Team Awesomeness is doing a-okay, and it's thanks to you."

Tomoko blushed a dark pink. "E-Eh? What did I do?"

Did she really have no clue? Obito held back a sigh before acting on the noogie urge. Desperate times called for desperate measures after all. And Tomo was dense. He had no clue if it was going to work, but Tomoko squealed loudly, doing her best to get away. Nope. No way. He made sure to ruffle her hair as much as he could before squeezing in another hug.

The whisper was far too quiet for anyone else to hear, since he ended up muttering it into her shoulder, but it was something.

"You helped give us all another home away from home, Tomo-chan.  _You gave me a home_. That's enough for me."

Tomoko only stilled before smiling softly and hugging him back.

"That's my line, doof."

"Huh?"

"Thank you for being you."

He had no clue how right he was.


	21. Braid Me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: This drabble's in honor of the original creator behind Tomoko's braid, Ezz. :)
> 
> Canonically takes place during the last month leading up to Kei's graduation in S&S 11, and referencing a few lines from the beginning of CYB 14.

_Sparkle 21: Braid Me_

"…"

"Um. Kei?"

My reincarnation buddy blinked, shaking her head and promptly messing up her already shaggy-like black hair. A few extra stubborn stands were left sitting on her nose after the gesture, and out of impatience or exasperation, I wasn't sure, Kei blew at it in one quick huff, jostling it back to land on the side of her face as one tangled clump. From the looks of it, staring meant spacing out for the both of us. Then again, botched reincarnation didn't happen every day. I waited for her eyes to refocus. "Oh," she said, before grinning at me. "Yo, Tomoko. Sorry about that."

The curiosity was already tugging at my throat, so I spoke politely. "Kei, is something on your mind? You've sat at the piano with me for the past  _ten_  minutes, and haven't exactly said anything." My hand was already hovering over the nearest privacy seal for extra reassurance, but I couldn't help but glance at it to make sure I wasn't accidentally pressing a key. "If you need to talk, we can talk?"

"It's not serious," was the reply, accentuated with a small shake of her head. "Just thinking." Kei paused before squinting. Then, she added, "Think I could braid your hair?"

I admit, I jumped a bit. That wasn't something Kei asked every day. Whenever she came to Nagareboshi Cafe, I expected a talk about canon plotting, or to play a song to help her relax. Not something like that. "Could I ask why?"

Kei's grin turned more sheepish. "Feminine skills ain't off the Academy Final Exam from the looks of it. So, hair practice."

"And you asked me because…"

"Mom's hair is already full of ribbons, Rin-chan's practicing with Haa-chan right now, and you're free?"

The giggle was already leaving my lips before I could think on it. "Kei, you could've asked Mama. She has  _really_ long hair compared to me."

Kei glanced around the cafe before shrugging. "I assumed Hikari-bachan was busy. It feels like it." That was true, considering Mama was in the kitchen to supervise the other staff. She turned back to me with a raised pointer finger. "And you already have a ribbon on you that I can use."

I blinked before reaching up and rubbing my hair ribbon between my fingers. It was red to match the RWBY dress, because winter, but it was still an accessory. "Point," was the only word I could think of, and even then, the nostalgia flowing over me was hard to ignore. Or the urge to smile. My past mom was a beauty stylist, so to get the offer of hair styling after so many years, from my best friend? It felt like I was back in that small white-blue house again, waiting for my mom to brush through my hair. It was a nice memory. "I'm guessing you already have a hair brush on you?"

Without even opening her mouth, Kei reached into the biggest pocket of her casual hoodie to pull out a medium-sized blue comb. "This work?"

"Dork." I couldn't even help the smile now. "That's just fine. All I ask is that you don't tug too much, okay?"

Kei was already beaming while getting up from her chair near the piano to walk over and stand behind me, hands in the air. The comb almost looked like a small sword with how she was holding it up. "No promises." A pause, and then, "Thanks, Tomoko."

"No problem." Almost like a final confirmation, I untied my ribbon to dangle it behind my head for her to take. "I'm in your care."

Kei didn't have much hair to work with because of my short bobcut, but we ended up compromising with two small braids making a loop that ended at the back of my head. It was something to be proud of, especially considering Kei's own hair problems.

I never did undo the hairstyle until I had to brush my teeth and go to sleep for the night.


	22. Nurse Me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: A drabble again dedicated to Kei and Tomoko, taking place in the early Genin years as reality starts to dawn on children far too early in their lives.

_Sparkle 22: Nurse Me_

"I don't think I'll ever get used to this."

Kei gave me a single look, not even protesting to my applying rubbing alcohol against the most recent training wound of scratches on her arm. Because kunai were going to be a hazard, no matter whether she was out on a mission or in the village. "To what?"

I bit my lip and held back on hugging her, instead gently patting her uninjured arm. "To you getting injured. To you getting hurt."

Kei's stare turned sympathetic in my direction. "I'm sorry, Tomo," she said simply.

Of course she could tell what I was thinking. I was an open book.

Even then, I shook my head. It wasn't her fault. She chose to be a ninja in the end. I chose to be a civilian. I would  _have_  to get used to this, no matter what. "Don't apologize for something you can't help." The urge to hug won out, and I couldn't help but wrap my arms around her neck anyways, resting my cheek on top of her hair. It was a messy pillow, but it worked. "Just be safe, and come back to the cafe whenever you can, okay? I miss you."

Kei opened her mouth before pausing. With a breath, she patted my arms in return, nodding. "I'll do my best."

"That's all I can ask for."


	23. To Care, Even in Sleep

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: A short story originally written for Lang during a dark time. Yet again, another Kei and Tomoko story, during the Genin years.
> 
> Themes are split between Kyle Landry's piano cover of Hikari from Kingdom Hearts and TYER Records' English cover of Oracion from No Game No Life. They worked when writing this.
> 
> "Is it enough?" is something I constantly ask myself. This time, I hope with all my heart that this is.

_Sparkle 23: To Care, Even in Sleep_

"…Kei?"

"…"

I blinked, keeping my grip steady on the pitcher of lemonade in my hands. My voice came out in a barely audible whisper, almost blending into the quiet air of the Gekkō living room with the low frequency. "Kei-chan?"

My reincarnation buddy simply twitched, not even reacting to the call. Another moment resulted in her shifting on the couch, her back left lying against the cushions as her eyes remained closed. Kei's hitai-ite bandana was barely covering her hair anymore as she unconsciously nudged closer to the nearest armrest, left arm thrown against her stomach haphazardly. The barely visible rise and fall of her jacketed chest as she breathed confirmed everything else.

 **She fell asleep,** Hisako said softly in my place.  **She must've really been tired.**

Considering that she came back to the village from a month-long mission a mere hour ago, probably.

I looked around. Wherever I looked, there was used clean furniture telling of a living room well-cherished by a four-person family, but that wasn't the point. I needed a place to put down my delivery. Thankfully, there was a table nearby, so I could walk over to deposit my newest creation of lemonade pitcher. It could sit there for a little while.

**Blanket?**

_Blanket. And pillow._

I clamped down on my chakra as much as I could to make sure Kei didn't wake up before quietly skedaddling out of the living room. Flitting across the floor in slippers was surprisingly easier than I thought. "Miyako-bachan?"

Thankfully, once I hit a nearby hallway with my personal task, my surrogate aunt poked her head out of the nearest room. "Yes?" Miyako-bachan met my stare with an inquiring tilt of her head, her long hair falling against her shoulder with the gesture. "What is it, Tomoko-chan?"

"Do you have any spare blankets and pillows?"

She blinked at me, black eyes searching and curious as I approached her. A single second was all it took for understanding to shine in her gaze, and she nodded to herself. "Kei-chan fell asleep?"

With no other response, I simply nodded, avoiding the urge to hold onto the hem of my blouse. There was nothing to be nervous about. Miyako-bachan was a good auntie for many reasons, and this moment right now proved one of them. She caught onto things quickly.

"Wait here then, Tomoko-chan." Miyako-bachan smiled. "I will go get them for you."

* * *

The bedding search didn't take that long, so the only thing left on my mind was  _how_ to drape them over Kei without her waking up. The bundle Miyako-bachan found for me was light enough, but my chakra spoke up  _far_  more than I ever did in real life, both as Vy  _and_  as Tomoko. Kei as a sensor would notice unless I held it down as much as I could.

 **A balancing act is** _ **still**_ **a balancing act,** Hisako said sagely, nodding her head to the point of her glasses shining over almost mockingly. If I didn't know any better, it was like she parodied  _Fate/stay night's_  old meme of, "People die if they are killed."  **Need my help, dear?**

 _Hm._ I hefted the bundle in my hands with a small bounce in my step. The hallway's wood tiling didn't even echo under my step. Well. That was one check off the worry list.  _If you're good at holding down spiritual energy?_

 **Dear, I'm a** _ **Nobody.**_ **Energy is my thing.** For the first time today, Hisako smirked, waving my approaching worries off with a hand fan.  **Leave it to me, honey.**

 _Thank you, Hisako._ That seemed like enough, but just in case, I added a small,  _Love you._ There was really nothing better than that.

 **Awwww. I love you too, Tomoko-chan. Now get going.** All the signal I had past those words was Hisako's smirk and a mental push to my back, and I tried not to skip on the way back.

Huh. I probably should've expected that. Now where was that heat dial…?

Thankfully, opening the door to the living room revealed Kei still on the couch, and I tiptoed as best as I could across the floor. Now, for one last check…

"Kei?"

"…"

No answer. My reincarnation buddy continued to breathe softly, sleeping the time away.

"Hee hee." I held the giggle back to myself as I tiptoed over to that couch, gently unfolding the blanket. It didn't take that much effort to tuck her into it, and fitting the pillow under her head was just as easy considering the space between her shoulders and the nearest armrest. The entire time I went about this, Kei didn't even move, her expression relaxed from sleep. Hell, the simple fact that she didn't do so much as  _twitch_ when her hitai-ite fell off mid-tucking in said a lot.

 **Hmmm. Maybe she's not having a nightmare for once?** Hisako pointed out thoughtfully, shrugging her shoulders.  **She's not sweating.**

 _Maybe._ Despite the uncertainty of the thought, I couldn't help the smile on my lips. For once in our shared lives, Kei was getting the peaceful moment. She didn't have to fight like this. Right now, it barely even looked like she was a ninja who could kill with how relaxed her expression was. Right now, with her unfurrowed eyebrows and light eyebags, she looked like the teenager she was supposed to be.

I didn't even know what prompted my mouth to keep moving. The volume was quiet, and her eyes were still closed, so there was no way she could hear it. At least, I could hope. "Kei, you're a dork, you know that?"

No answer again.

I sat down on my knees, folding my skirt under myself. "You put so much onto yourself. Taking care of Hayate, earning money to help Miyako-bachan and Wataru-jichan, and then you're in Team Minato."  _The team that suffers the most from canon aside from Team 7, and_ they  _already had bad luck._  I couldn't tell if the small laugh that left me was fond or regretful. "You're amazing, Kei."

Sure, Kannabi hadn't happened yet. But Obito and Kakashi were getting along. Kinda. And Rin was alive right now, learning to be a better medic than Canon ever allowed her to be.

But as expected, Kei didn't answer. Simply breathed in and out, and lay still. Just as she was supposed to, sleeping her stress away.

I brushed a strand of my hair behind my ear. Hopefully my feather hairclip could handle that bugger. Or I could adjust the clip itself later. Sure, it was a different sensation compared to my usual hair ribbon, but I could cope. My voice came out somewhat deep in pitch. Almost like Hisako's inflections. "How am ever I supposed to thank you…? You take on so much of the work changing Canon over me, I don't think I can ever compare."

My smile was starting to feel the slightest bit forced, but I knew it was the truth. When Kei chose to be a ninja, I knew she had the audacity to do so much more than I could and ever would admit to. She was the game-changer. She was the main piece that would help us win the war against Madara and other Canon-related bullshit.

"I just can't help but wonder if you're happy. If I'm helping you enough."

_You do so much more than me, sacrifice so much more than me, and I can't help but respect that. You deserve so much more than I can ever give you._

I leaned my head against the nearest empty couch cushion, reaching over to pat her blanket. This wasn't the time to be feeling inadequate. This time was all about her. "You're my best friend, Kei. And, just, thank you. For being here. For everything." I closed my eyes. "Thank you."

Good. I said it all. Even if I knew she wasn't going to hear it, I said it.

Then again, what was I even  _doing?_  I was muttering ridiculous things to a person who was supposed to be  _sleeping._ What was I coming to?

A mental hug was the next response.  **You did good, dear.**

 _I did, huh…?_ Even though my legs called out otherwise, I slowly stood up from the floor to stretch. "That was enough witless and unneeded cheese. Time to make some mochi."

**To work off the sugar?**

_To work off the sugar._

**Or it could just be unneeded fat.**

_I don't know how I feel about the food analogies._

**Baaaaah, says the girl who uses "happy juice."**

_Hey. It works!_

Just in case, I pulled on my chakra to keep it closer to my core before glancing over at my reincarnation buddy. Yep. Still asleep.

"I love you, Kei," I whispered softly. "Just rest up."

The last I saw before tiptoeing out of the room and past the doorknob was a bit of her messy cowlicks sticking out from under the blanket as she slept on. My hand moved for me in closing the door behind me, and once the familiar  _click_ of the door sounded as it shut into its frame, I let out the breath I didn't realize I was holding.

 _Well then._  I slapped my cheeks.  _No time to sit around._

The next stop was finding red bean paste.


	24. Disappearance

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: Welp. Here it is. The prologue of the discontinued and dropped Danganronpa and S&S crossover. I worked on this for a long time, with encouragement from one Apocryphal-One, but I ended up leaving this as is because the story was hitting my own mental health badly. So, here's the prologue of the relic that was supposed to be Tomoko's own Memory Arc. Consider this a what-if bad ending thing, where Gekkō Miyako passed away on October Tenth and the Memory Arc from CYB happened in S&S as it did in CYB. Even with Tomoko's help, Kei doesn't come out with her arm unscathed, and this is the aftermath.
> 
> As everyone knows, I do not own anything except Tomoko, her family, and Nagareboshi Cafe. Danganronpa and Naruto both belong to their respective creators of Spike Chunsoft and Masashi Kishimoto. Kei and any references to CYB belong to Lang Noi.
> 
> Trigger warnings: depression, implied suicide and cutting, emotional trauma, and unintentional neglect. I recommend closing this now if you don't want to read angst.

_Sparkle 24: Disappearance_

"Papa?" At the sound of his daughter's voice, Judai hummed a non-committed noise as a way of signaling his attention without actually voicing it. It sounded like a question. He was not expecting the next remark.

"Do you think you'll ever forget me?"

 _What. What the_ — _what the fuck was just said just now?_

Judai rubbed the inside of his right ear lobe almost viciously before blinking and turning around to the teenager fidgeting behind his step. "Tomoko-chan,  _what_ did you just say?"

Tomoko flinched, taking a step back while ducking her head. Judai immediately held back any urge to shout in protest at the sight of her shoulders shaking, and instead let out his frustrations in a small sigh. "Tomoko-chan, please." He took a breath to stay calm and not make a large scene like the worried parent he was supposed to be. "I'm not angry. What did you say just now?"

"Um," she said, her voice high-pitched with nervousness. With the way she was looking away from him, it was as if she wanted to be invisible, like a ghost — as much as possible. That wasn't a good sign. "Just—just a question… ' _Do you think you'll ever forget me.'_ " Tomoko-chan stopped walking after repeating herself, hunching in a way that vaguely reminded him of a hedgehog.

 _Oh gosh._ Even without being a sensor, Judai knew that this was about Kei.

No one in the close family-friend circle could ever forget Sorayama and what had happened. It had only been a month, and even with everyone slowly recovering, the image of his daughter's tear-stained face was still etched in his mind. The sight of his niece's limp left arm was  _still_  imprinted in his thoughts.

At the time, when Tomoko-chan vehemently declared herself a temporary inhabitant of the Namikaze Household, Judai didn't complain. The stubbornness inherited from Hikari was apparent enough already. But for her to come back a few days later, sobbing loudly about how Kei had gone on another mission, and then the chaos at the hospital? He wasn't even sure anymore.

"Tomoko-chan, Tomoko-chan, Tomoko-chan," he found himself humming the name while walking closer, and it was hard to miss Tomoko's instinctive flinch. "Hey, hey," he kept his voice soft while reaching over to rest a hand on the girl's head. Immediately, the teen looked up at him with wide, surprised blue eyes, and Judai couldn't help but wonder what in all hell made her like this. What made  _Vy_ so scared of reactions to the point of it bleeding over into another life?

He wasn't sure, but he put on his best smile while bumping foreheads. She needed to know this, especially as his daughter. "Why are you asking that? There's no way in all fucking hell I'm going to forget you, alright? Remember that first."

Tomoko inhaled sharply from the surprise while looking up at him, gaping wordlessly.

Judai smiled a bit more wryly this time, shaking his head. "Tomoko-chan, you're my  _daughter._  My only hime, okay? There's no way I could ever forget you." He sighed before saying it with the warmest smile he could muster. "I love you."

Tomoko gasped sharply this time before ducking her head with the shine of unshed tears. "O-Oh," she said, and Judai already knew his words had hit a mark judging by the barely audible shake of her voice. "I-I see…" was all he could get before something barreled into his chest, and Judai allowed himself a single wince before wrapping his arms around the teen and squeezing for all his muscles were worth. "I-I love you too, Papa…!" The response was choked and muffled no thanks to the hug at hand, but Judai couldn't even find himself to care. Tomoko-chan wasn't pushing him away, and that itself was an achievement. "I love you too…!"

Even if the words were sweet, Judai couldn't brush off the feelings of suspicion and concern at the tone of voice Tomoko used.

It sounded pained. Almost anguished and lonely.

The worry rising up in him could be handled another day as he squeezed back, breathing in through his nose while pressing a kiss to the top of Tomoko's head. She needed this, not his worries right now. "Everything's going to be alright, hime. It's going to be okay. So, whatever you're thinking about, don't worry." Judai didn't miss how Tomoko tensed, and he kissed her head again. "I love you, Mama loves you, everyone we  _know_  loves you, Tomoko-chan. Make sure not to forget that in whatever you're thinking about, okay?"

A few moments passed before Judai could finally feel his little girl relax, and her grip on the back of his shirt loosened as a frail nod rustled the front of his shoulders. "Mm," Tomoko said, small, cute, and quiet. "Mm. Okay."

If Judai knew that was the last time he would see his little hime for eight months, he would've said more. Instead, at the time, all he did was hug her tighter and usher her back into the cafe.

Healing had yet to finish, it seems.

* * *

The next morning, it took only a minute for Hikari to realize that she was screaming.

It should have been another day. Another morning, waking up everyone to start work at Nagareboshi Cafe. Hikari could vaguely recall her usual routine of getting dressed and brushing her teeth before walking over to Tomoko-chan's room and seeing her daughter's adorable sleepy face.

"Tomoko-chan, it's morning! Time to get—"

She didn't even register her hand touching the doorknob before the scent of copper and dust rushed her nose, and once her eyes had latched onto the sight at hand, everything left her mind. Hence, the screaming.

"AHHHHHHHHH!"

" _Hikari!_ " Judai's voice, panicked now, and she could've sworn she saw Sakumo from the corner of her eye before arms were wrapping around her shoulders. "What's the matter—"

"Judai—" Once the feelings of  _safety_ and  _ohgod_  registered in her mind, she found her knees buckling underneath her weight as her husband proceeded to catch her, gaping. "Judai, Tomoko-chan's—"

Tears were already budding in her eyes without even meaning to, and even with their presence blurring her vision, the large,  _red_  words were too glaring to ignore.

_For as long as there's despair, we must find hope, no matter the costs._

Underneath the lines of red was a rustled futon and  _no_ Tomoko, so Hikari was more than grateful that Sakumo threw the tri-pronged kunai first.

* * *

Out of anything that could have happened that morning, Namikaze Minato was not at all happy with the situation.

"What  _is_ this?" he voiced aloud, and even with that said, the glaring red words on the walls in front of him was not pretty. The metallic scent alone showed that the 'paint' was actually  _blood_ , but considering  _whose_ room he was in, the sight was all the more jarring. More so with the faint strand of normally cheerful  _rainbow_  chakra leaking from the message.

"Th-that's something I was hoping you had the answer to," Sakumo replied, and the soft stumble in his voice wasn't hard to miss. "We came running when Hikari screamed, and…Hokage-sama, this is what we found."

Behind him, Minato could make out Hikari's soft and anguished sobs mixed with Judai's attempts at comforting her, albeit to no avail.

The overall sense of desperation in this whole room made Minato feel on edge.

 _Not again,_ he couldn't help but think.  _Not again._

Even if Kei had forgiven him for Sorayama, that didn't mean—

"Sakumo," he found himself saying, and he still inwardly flinches with how calm his voice comes out. "Call Kei-kun, Kakashi, and Obito for me." Minato gulps down his own anxious thoughts to say the dreadful conclusion, and even with that in mind, the thought was hard enough to bear.

"Hoshino Tomoko is officially missing."

* * *

Kakashi already knew something was dreadfully wrong when  _Dad_  of all people came to his apartment, geared up in his old White Fang Jounin attire too. More so with the rare look of panic on his face.

"Kakashi, I don't have time to explain. Get Kei and Obito with you and come to Nagareboshi Cafe. We have a situation." The announcement too was short and to-the-point, but Kakashi already felt his heart beat hard at the location name alone.

"Nagareboshi?" he demands, grabbing his father's upper arm to stop him from leaving. "What happened? What's going on, Dad?"

 _There shouldn't be anything happening. Nagareboshi is supposed to be_ —

Sakumo proceeded to turn his head to look at him, and the pinched, frustrated, and saddened mix of emotions on his face said everything. The former White Fang bit his bottom lip, ducking his head before the words were said and Kakashi could've sworn the air turned colder.

"Tomoko-chan's gone."

* * *

By the time Kei made her way to the scene, all that seemed to register in her mind was disbelief, frustration, and cold horror.

 _There's no way Tomo's gone. There's no way_ —

Inwardly, Isobu waved a tail in clear irritation.  **Getting worked up before you even** _ **see**_   **the scene is not good for your mind.** The Tailed Beast then paused.  **Not that I cannot understand. That pianist is someone we cannot lose.**

It didn't even register to Kei that Isobu hadn't even insulted the girl. Instead, she did her best to not burst through the cafe doors, going on to walk up the stairs to the Hoshino household as calmly as she could, even with the killing intent rolling off her in waves from the emotions.

 _She can't be_ —

Kei was already slamming the house door open before stopping in place.

Hikari-bachan looked up from her hands to stare at her in surprise while standing in the living room, and Kei was already wincing at the sight of the red trails on the older woman's cheeks. Besides her, Judai-jichan raised his head as well, a rare look of desperation covering his face. That wasn't right. Hikari-bachan and Judai-jichan weren't supposed to be looking like that.

_No._

"What. Happened." Kei said curtly, trying to keep anger to a minimum while walking over. "Hikari-bachan?"

"Kei…" Hikari immediately wipes at her eyes with her arm while sniffling, clearly unable to speak from the shock. Kei makes sure to give her a few moments to calm down, because the least she could do was that. Anger didn't really make her the most touchy-feely person, after all. She could only be grateful that Judai-jichan proceeded to hug the woman in her place. "I…" The older woman proceeded to choke on what seemed to be a lump in her throat, and even with the occasional streak of grey in her long ponytail, the way her shoulders shook just reminded Kei of—

Kei immediately shook her head to get the name out of her mind. She couldn't think of the pianist now. Especially since the situation wasn't confirmed yet.

 **Don't push our luck,**  Isobu mutters quietly. Kei tries to ignore him.

Judai proceeded to interrupt that line of thought with a sigh and a hanging of his head. "…We don't know either. You could check Tomoko-chan's room, but I'm guessing someone told you what happened already." He shook his head, squeezing Hikari's shoulders once she started to cry again. Kei was already feeling the dread pile up. "One day, she's here, and then, this—" Judai-jichan went on to curse lowly under his breath, quiet enough for Hikari to not hear, before raising his head and smiling wryly at Kei. "She didn't even take her keyboard with her."

_No. Nononono._

It didn't even register that she was walking past them down the familiar hallways, searching for that sense of the warm rainbow that was her friend. It couldn't be true. There was no way—

The door loomed in front of her vision, and Kei was already noticing that it was left  _open_. With the faint scent of…of  _blood_.

_No!_

Kei was already pushing through the doorway before the sight registered in her eyes, and her heart proceeded to drop in her chest.

Red. There was so much  _red_  for such a large message.

_For as long as there's despair, we must find hope, no matter the costs._

"What the  _fuck_ ," she says flatly.

Sensei turns to her with a perplexed face of his own, frowning. "Hello, Kei-kun. I see you've finished reading…" he gestured to the red words with the same expression, " _that._ "

Underneath said message, Kakashi was looking it over like a hawk, hunched over the words before swiping at a trail of it with his finger and sniffing it. "Thankfully, it's not Tomoko's. But it's definitely blood."

Nearby, Obito was looking over the suspiciously  _empty_ blue futon that sat underneath the large words with his Sharingan swirling before he shook his head, closing his eye. "It definitely wasn't a genjutsu, sensei. Tomo-chan's—" Obito freezes as soon as he turns around and meets Kei's stare. "Oh," he said, voice rising in pitch. "H-Hey, Kei."

Kei didn't even realize she was biting the inside of her cheek until she tasted copper. "What's going on," she starts in the same flat tone, taking a shaky breath to keep the emotions back. "What happened here?"

Minato-sensei takes a step forward and, even with his Hokage cloak, Kei didn't take note of him until he was already standing in front of her. "I think you should see this first."

A VHS player was then put into her hands, already filled with a tape of some kind, and Kei could only stare at it before Minato folded a pair of headphones into her palm too. "She—we found that Tomoko-chan left this behind, near her bed."

Kei's question bubbled up through her before being stopped by her dread-frozen throat.

Her teacher's expression proceeded to soften, with a slight tinge of pity around his brow that got Kei's nonexistent hackles rising regardless. "It was addressed to you."

The forcibly even tone still felt like an accusation, and Kei turned away sharply rather than face it.

Instead, Kei stared at the tape long and hard, eyes following the curved handwriting that made up the hiragana of her name on the label, before walking out of the room to stand in the hallway. And sure enough, the label was in Tomoko's handwriting. Small, neat, and yet shaky with how the pen curved at some angles on the white label. It didn't take long to plug in the headphones and press the PLAY button on the small device before waiting for the sound. She didn't know what to expect, and when  _that_  voice started blaring through the speakers, Kei was already sliding down against the wall.

" _Kei? Kei-chan? Kei, can you hear me?_ " A nervous, high-pitched laugh sounded before a small smile echoed through the headphones. " _Uh—wait just a second._ "

A pause and some rustling followed, almost awkwardly too.

" _Um, oh dear. Testing, testing, one-two, one-two. Aaaah, aaah."_ A few vocal exercises broke through the radio silence before it was followed by a soft, " _Okay."_ Tomoko huffed through the headphones. " _This is working. Woo! Okay."_

Another pause commenced, followed by some static and more rustling.

Then, Kei could hear another breath, sounding shaky this time, ringing through the speakers as the tape continued to roll. " _Hi, Kei. It's…It's Tomoko. I guess if you found this tape, that means…"_ the girl breathed shakily, " _that means either I'm dead, or I disappeared somewhere. It's hard to think about, since by the time I'm recording this, I'm still in Konoha with you and everyone else at home._ "

Tomoko took a breath, accompanied by some faint static and more rustling, almost as if she was fidgeting in thought before continuing. " _But…hm, how to put this._ " Tomoko laughed again, and Kei could easily make out the sadness in the sound. " _I wanted to leave this behind in case if either of those situations happened, more so if…"_ the civilian audibly gulped, " _if in the case that I actually died first. Before you._ "

Cold horror was already washing over her like a wave as Tomoko continued on, oblivious to what was going on outside the recording. " _I-I don't want to think about that, about me dying first. But—but after what happened in these past few years, I can't help but think about anything_ _ **but**_   _that."_ Tomoko was smiling in the recording again, sadder. " _It's probably weird for you to hear me say this, more so because I chose to be a civilian in honor of my past life and to keep living. But—_ "

The tape paused with some accompanying static.

" _But—"_ Tomoko cut herself off with another huff, and it was obvious she was starting to tear up. " _But I know how this world works. We both do. Civilians are more likely to die first, and—well, after everything, I don't think the world needs a useless pianist girl like me anymore, right?"_ Tomoko inhaled again, deeper this time, before continuing. The tape went on to keep rolling. " _And, from the looks of things, you seem to be okay now, Kei. Even after Sorayama. I just wish I could've done more, but if I dwell on that right now, you'll be sitting here for a lot longer than you'd like and I'd probably start sounding like a silly dolt, just rambling about things I can't say to you personally._ "

Another laugh echoed through the headphone speakers. Kei didn't know what to think.

" _I'm ridiculous, huh? I can't even give this to you, or even tell you in person because I'm too scared to break the peace you nearly gave your life for in having again."_ Tomoko sighed. " _But…you're okay. Everyone's okay. Kakashi, Obito, Rin, Minato-san, Kushina-nee, the Chinatsugumi kids, Mama and Papa, Sakumo-jichan, Wataru-jichan…everyone. Even Hayate, too, now that I think about it. He really missed you in that year you were gone."_

Another pause followed before a small breath echoed through the speakers.

" _Everyone's smiling again…so, my job is done, isn't it?"_ Tomoko was smiling from the sound of her voice, but all Kei could feel was the same cold horror. " _Besides, I—I don't_ —" The once even voice was now shuddering. " _I couldn't do anything when you were gone. So, what use do I have? What—what place do I have now?_ "

Some more rustling, and from the gesture, it sounded like Tomoko was playing with her hair.

" _I don't know, Kei. I don't know. But—"_ she breathed in, deeper again, as if to get a hold of herself, " _that's why I'm leaving this, I guess. So that if someone does dispatch of me, or kill me, I can at least leave this and tell you that what happened to me isn't your fault._ "

Kei could've screamed. Yelled, reacted, anything. Instead, she only twitched as the words rang through the headphones, her back resting against the cold wall.

" _I—"_ Tomoko's voice rang through the headphones with a bit of static, almost like she had shaken the recorder from sweaty hands. " _I'm sorry, Kei. For leaving like this. For not telling you. I—I actually cut myself a bit before, when you left for Sorayama. Not too much to hurt, but—but it drew blood, and yet for some reason, I was happy. Frickin'_ _ **happy.**_ _It hurt, and yet all I could focus on was how I felt_ _ **real**_ _. I'm just a mess, huh?_ "

A sniffle cut through the words, and Kei vaguely registered through the recording that Tomoko was starting to cry. " _Mama and Papa didn't notice, but it was still something that happened, and I'm such a coward because I couldn't tell anyone. I-I'm just scared, of being like this, of how you would react to my own ridiculous problems, when you have your own things to worry about. Of how— I—_ " Tomoko breathed again, and the static cut in once more before she continued. " _I just_ _ **miss**_   _you. And I'm sorry."_

Kei twitched again.

" _I'm sorry for not reaching out, for being such a coward, and for letting you go even when I should know better. For being scared by myself, and not telling anyone. But…but…"_

A bit more rustling, and then the sound of a blowing nose followed. " _It's not your fault, Kei, okay? Don't start thinking that it is. It's just me and my ridiculous cowardice in not saying anything. Maybe, just maybe though,_ " Tomoko's voice turned a bit hopeful at this, a bit happier, " _if you do find me, I can throw this tape away and leave it with a laugh, and then we can hang out like we used to. Maybe this urge of cutting can stop, maybe I can start feeling alive again, and maybe then I can stop feeling guilty about Vy's old life and how my trend of messing up just seems to continue…"_

Tomoko laughed again, a little brighter this time. " _Maybe I can stay with you and the rest of our ninja friends forever, and this tape can rot like the trash it is. Like the trash my problems are. Maybe._ "

Kei opened her mouth, found sawdust in her throat, and closed it.

" _F-For now, though,"_ Tomoko smiled again. " _Um._ "

She breathed in one last time.

" _Daisuki da yo, Kei. I hope, in the end, you'll be okay. Without me, I mean. That you might forgive me for all this. But, for now…"_ the civilian shuddered, " _Mata ne._ "

The tape hit static for a few more seconds, then stopped playing.

Kei removed the headphones from her ears only to lean back against the wall, questions ringing in her head. "Okay," she muttered, gripping the VHS player. "Okay, um, this is—" The taste of copper registered on her tongue again. "This is bad, and I am going to find—" A curse was already itching at the back of her throat, but the eerie quiet of the hallway didn't help in calming down her nerves at all. "I—" Kei hissed.

 _How could I have let this happen? How could I— What did I—_  Kei shook her head.  _What did we do to make_ _ **Tomo**_   _doubt that we loved her too?_

Kei wanted to yell it out to the world. To just scream it out in the hopes that the pianist could pop up somewhere, and just give the answer.

Instead, all that greeted her in the vicinity were the lowered voices of her teammates and silence.

It was only when a dull cracking noise reached her ears that Kei looked down and nearly lurched back from the squished form of the VHS player in her fist. Loosening her grip had stopped any further crushing, saving the tape inside, but the player itself could have seen better days. " _Fuck_ ," she cursed. "I'm just horrible."

 **Do you think the pianist would have told you that?** Isobu's question was an honest one, but Kei's hackles were still raised enough to where she couldn't formulate an immediate answer.  **After all these years, after all the time she has been with you, do you think Hoshino Tomoko would say that so easily?**

Kei didn't know what to think.

Isobu gently nudged her with one of his tails.  **Go ahead and take care of yourself.**

"A-Alright," she voiced aloud, trying to hide the shakiness in her voice. The VHS player couldn't afford to be smashed anymore, so Kei decided to stash it into one of her many Jounin vest pockets, at least for safety. "Might as well get some steam off anyways."

The nearest bathroom was coincidentally right across from Tomoko's room in the hallway. Walking inside and surveying the room showed that nothing else had changed, and nearby—

Kei tried not to look at the obvious blue hair ribbon sitting out on the sink counter for someone to take. That wasn't hers to use. Instead, Kei turned on the faucet to wash her face, trying to get the copper out of her mouth, before looking up into the mirror.

It took a moment for it to sink in that tears were dotting her cheeks. It took another moment until the dryness that came with tears registered on her face. Along with the darker eyebags and pinched frown she was wearing, it wasn't the best Kei could be.

 **Don't push it.**  Isobu nudged her again, rumbling almost hopefully.  **We will find her. I assure it.**

Kei breathed in shakily. "I hope so," she voiced aloud, and even with that said, the crack in her voice was hard to ignore. "I hope so."

* * *

Meanwhile, Obito tried to push any lingering questions to the back of his head to search. Tomoko-chan wasn't the kind of person to  _disappear_ , and not in such a way like this. She was neat, and never dreamed of leaving her own room in such a mess.

And yet, here he was now, searching for clues in a cluttered room that lacked his friend's presence. Kei's own reaction was not good by any means, and for once, Obito found himself fumbling.

"What does it mean by ' _despair_ ' anyways?" he mutters lowly, folding the futon back in honor of the previous inhabitant. "And ' _hope_ '…it's not because Tomo-chan can be considered  _our_ hope, or…" he trailed off as soon as the dread started creeping up his throat. "Is it?"

Nearby, Kakashi was rummaging around the nearby walls, knocking on the surface with the back of his hand before glancing at him. "I  _hope_ it's not, unless we have a bigger problem at hand here," he snarked, and it only took a moment before Obito proceeded to face-palm.

"Really? A pun?  _Now_?" Obito tried not to groan while lifting his head up from the inside of his palm. "You realize we're in a situation, right?"

Kakashi sighed. "It's better than thinking on the  _other_  implications."

Obito couldn't help but give him the point at that. Nearby, Minato-sensei was looking through the closet and muttering what sounded like fuinjutsu talk under his breath before raising his head in their direction. "Have you two found anything?"

"Not much," Obito replies, and the dread continued to build up as he looked over the futon underneath his hands. "It's just…" the words felt almost like sawdust in his throat, but he continued with his thought, "Why would Tomoko-chan disappear like this? It's not like her, and that message—" he swiveled around to point an angry finger at the red words, "just seems like a prank."

"I wish that it was," Sensei sighed before turning away from the closet to stand tall, "but the simple fact that Tomoko-chan left that VHS tape, coincidentally before this whole situation happened, along with the words sitting here with us right now, I know it's not a prank, Obito." Minato held his forehead against his fingers. "There's no mistaking that small bit of Tomoko-chan's chakra still leaking from the message's words, either."

"…You're not implying she left on  _purpose_ , Sensei, are you?" Kakashi snapped.

Minato jolted and shook his head. "No, Kakashi, I would never!"

"Um, Hokage-sama?"

Everyone immediately stood on edge as soon as another voice interrupted, and Obito turned around only to meet Rin's eyes, and he blinked. Rin was looking panicked from her perch at the window, and that wasn't good.

And…wait. When did his hand go into the  _pillow_ —

His fingers were already brushing what felt like a hardcover of some sorts before Sensei's voice rang through the room. "What is it, Rin?" Minato sounded tense, already getting back into a serious demeanor judging by the sound of his voice.

The medic only glanced between him, Obito, and Kakashi, before opening her mouth.

"I-It's the hospital. There's—there's a room that you all need to see. And," she paused, looking around with more panic in her eyes, "Where's Kei?"

"Huh?" Everyone turned their heads, and speak of the devil, Kei was standing in the doorway, arms crossed and scowling. Obito tried not to wince, and gripped at whatever he was holding, finding only bookish material. "What happened  _now_?" she snapped.

Obito tried not to fumble with whatever was in his hand before doing his best to discreetly hide the pillow and take out its contents. Sure enough, from the feel, it  _was_ a book, and he made sure to stash it into his pocket so that he could look later.

"I—" Rin paused, trying to find words judging by her fidgeting hands before gesturing outside. "You all need to come to the hospital,  _now_!"

* * *

_By trying to save one life, I'm condemning another._

The same large,  _blood_ -written type of message, this time was found covering one of the walls of Kei's old hospital room. Once everyone was in the room, Kei only took one look at said wall before deadpanning a loud, "What the goddamn  _fuck_."

Minato's hands were already clenched in tight fists as he walked forward to survey the words. "Rin, is this the only other message that's shown up?"

"Yes," Rin replied immediately, squishing a clipboard to her chest. "I just don't understand why this showed up, overnight too. Did—" her eyes widened as she turned on everyone else, "Did something happen?"

Kakashi meanwhile sniffed the air before nodding. "It's the same blood as the type used in the message in Tomoko's room, Sensei. It's definitely the same source, so they're connected."

Kei was already cursing underneath her breath, and Obito tried not to bounce nervously as Rin gasped and turned to him. "Obito," her voice had gone soft with questioning, and he swiveled his head so that he wouldn't have to meet her unsure brown eyes. Rin was cute, but seeing her like that in this situation was— "What happened to Tomoko-chan?"

"She, she—" Obito couldn't help but hang his head. There was no easy way to break this can of worms. Fuck his nervousness. "She's gone, Rin. Disappeared from her own  _house_ , with only a message like this one covering one of her room walls."

Rin gasped again, horror dawning in her eyes, just as Kei swiveled her head away to curse a low, "Motherfucker."

Minato and Kakashi went silent too, and this same kind of quiet passed between everyone in the vicinity for a while. The message in front of them only seemed to  _taunt_ them, more so with the faint scent of copper flooding the normally sanitized room. Even if there was a faint sense of a rainbow, it was quickly dashed with the copper and bright red coloring the white wall there.

It was dreadful.

And then Obito was getting an eyeful of another kind of red.

"WHY THE HELL AM I HEARING SOMETHING LIKE TOMOKO-CHAN GOING  _MISSING_?!"

Sure enough, Kushina was barreling through the hospital hallways, and Minato didn't even have a chance to say his wife's name before she was already up in his face and upset. "Minato, what's going—" the Uzumaki stopped herself as soon as the red message registered in her line of vision, "Oh no." Kushina turned around. "Kei-chan…?"

Kei cursed again, lower this time. "Sensei," she said slowly. "I'm gonna need permission to wreck shit."

Obito's stomach was already dropping to his gut as he gaped.

"Permission granted," Minato proceeded to reply in a similar flat tone, and a few seconds was all it took for Kei to stomp out of the room in a huff, clearly not up for saying much else.

"Huh," Kakashi started after a moment's pause. "That went about just as well as we could've expected."

"You realize Kei was  _completely_  pissed off, right, Kakashi?" Obito tried not to squeak while saying the words.

"But," Rin paused while hanging her head. "I can't fault her for feeling that way."

The same silence from before came back with a vengeance as everyone, even Kushina, fell quiet. Even if everyone was together in one room, the obvious absence of one specific someone was obvious.

Obito found it a better time than any to rummage through his pockets and pull out the book. All eyes immediately turned to him as he blinked at the back cover. Out of every color of the rainbow, he couldn't find any surprise at the aquamarine blue shade.

"Obito," Rin was deadly quiet. "Where did you get that?"

He tried not to fumble with the book in his hands. "I-It was in Tomo-chan's pillow case. Before we came over here, I found myself grabbing it. Maybe to find a clue or something?" Obito shrugged helplessly, but he already knew that this was a deep hole he dug himself into once the soft gold writing of ' _Diary_ ' flashed from the front cover when he turned it around. "Oh,  _fuck_."

"…You took  _Tomoko's diary_?" Kakashi said incredulously.

"B-Before you say anything, I haven't opened it or read it!" Obito made sure to interject quickly, because the dark and menacing aura rising from one specific redhead was nothing to laugh at. "All I did was grab it and carry it with me here! I haven't even touched it aside from right now, really!"

Rin immediately put her face into her hands. "Oh, Obito," he could make out between the cracks in her fingers.

Once red hair was rising like flames though, Obito was already gulping. Minato-sensei didn't look all that comfortable either, if his quiet scooting-away by the inch was any indication. "…Obito, if not for the situation, you would  _seriously_ deserve a wallop on the head, you hear me?" Kushina raised a fist for emphasis and good measure, and he nodded as fast as he could so that the message could be seen as delivered. "Next time, at least ask for permission!"

"Yes, ma'am!" Obito saluted. He then paused. "But, wait, who was I supposed to ask?"

Once a hand was tapping his shoulder, Obito nearly jumped before turning around and making eye contact with red-rimmed sapphire—

"You could've asked Judai or me, Obito-kun," Hikari proceeded to say flatly, arms crossed over her chest. The shoulder bag hanging from her right shoulder looked weighty and heavy, and Obito was already gulping.

 _Shit._ "S-Sorry, Hikari-bachan," he said instinctively. "I'm sorry."

Hikari still smiled and held up one hand, and Obito was already handing the diary over. Once the woman had a grip on the book, she cradled it for a moment, staring at it wordlessly. Her eyes already were looking like they were starting to shine with more unshed tears, but before Obito could say anything, she raised her head. "Do you all want to read this together?"

"…What?" Kakashi said.

"I overheard the earlier conversation. You thought that you could get a clue to what happened through Tomoko-chan's diary, right?" Hikari hugged the book tightly to her chest, but the stubborn flash in her blue eyes said everything. "So, this is my permission. Just this once. It's a bad enough situation as is, and when we do get Tomoko-chan back, we'll all hug her together. For now, I just want to know what happened to my daughter."

Obito held back a wince of emotional sympathy to instead smile wryly. "Hey, Sensei? Are you okay with that?"

"Huh?" Minato blinked, clearly caught off guard for a moment before swiveling his head to Hikari. "Hikari-san, are you absolutely sure? We will be going through what might be your family's privacy and Tomoko-chan's own personal writing. This might go into its own case record."

Hikari in turn took on a small scowl. "I know, I know, I'm not the biggest fan of shinobi protocol, but you all at least aren't writing my daughter off as  _dead_." A sadder smile came up on her face, and she shrugged her shoulders almost helplessly. "You all cared for her too. And if there's anyone that I trust in bringing her back, then it's you all."

Obito's heart could've swelled at that. Instead, what left him was a dull, "Should I go call Kei back?"

Rin immediately winced while Minato-sensei paled. "That…might not be the best idea right now, Obito," and the regret was plain as day on the Hokage's face with the statement, "It's probably better if we let Kei take off some steam."

"Oh dear," Hikari said, and Obito was already turning to her once she started shuffling through her pockets. What? "I-I don't think I can stand for that."

The last thing Obito was expecting was Hikari to walk up to him, clutching her bag while tucking the diary into its folds. "Obito-kun, I…" Hikari trailed off, ducking her head, and then her shoulders started to shudder. "I think Kei should be with us. But this is a sensitive time. So, can you do me a favor?"

"What is it?" he said instinctively.

Hikari raised her head, blue eyes shining with some kind of fire, and Obito didn't know whether to stare or sweat.

"Please take me to her."

* * *

Hoshino Hikari didn't know how long she was waiting for. Aside from her motion-sickness kicking in with Obito using Kamui, she meant. Throwing up was a sensation she bitterly had to get used to when it came to living with ninja so far, but it didn't make the weight on her heart any less heavy. Nor did it make seeing her niece lash out on almost everything in sight at a Training Ground like she was possessed any less easier to bear.

Kei was doing almost everything Hikari thought she would never see in one day. Cut down trees, perform some kind of Water Jutsu, hell, even let off killer intent that made it hard to approach. Obito had dropped her off at least 10 meters away from Kei's current position in order to go try and calm her down, but to be fair, Hikari wasn't all that confident. She didn't even know how much trust she could have in the world anymore aside from these kids. These teenagers she watched grow up, with her—

Hikari shook her head vigorously once Obito started spamming Kamui. The new spar was quick, far too quick for Hikari to follow with her eyes alone with all the blurring, but the most she could make out was Kei's  _yellow_ eyes and the frustration pinching both hers and Obito's faces.

They were upset. They were hurt. And, even if Hikari didn't want to admit it, they needed to fight their worries out.

She didn't know when the fighting exactly stopped until the sounds of sobs ran through her ears.

Pained, anguished, and desperate sobs.

Hikari raised her head, and all she saw was Kei hunched in the ruins of the Training Ground, gripping onto Obito's shoulders while bawling louder than anything Hikari had ever seen before, and then she was running.

The two ninja didn't even protest her dropping the bag in her hands to join in on the hug. Hell, even Obito looked like he was about to cry, so Hikari reached over as much as she could to embrace them both. She made herself not cry, because there was only so much you could do before you broke down and were left in tatters yourself. The least she could do was be a pillar for the kids to lean towards in times of peril.

While Kei and Obito broke down in varying degrees of pain, Hikari hugged them both as hard as she could, praying that Miyako was watching and approving.

She couldn't help but wish that Miyako was here too. She would know how to handle this better. She would know what to do when it came to her own daughter.

She wouldn't have let—

Kei let out a hiccupping breath before hesitantly pulling away. "I-I'm sorry, Hikari-bachan. I'm sorry."

 _Oh, Kei._ Hikari shook her head, putting on the warmest smile she could muster, just for her niece to see. "There's nothing to apologize for, Kei. It's not your fault."

"But—" Kei hiccupped again, and Obito only squeezed her shoulder while wiping at his own face. "But, Hikari-bachan, Tomo's—" As if a dam burst all over again, tears welled up in those black eyes before Kei ducked her head. "Tomo's  _gone_ , and she—"

"Kei," Hikari spoke softly, trying to hold back everything she had to just reach over and rest a hand on her niece's head. "I know. And I'm saying it again. It's not your fault. She—" Hikari took in a shaky breath, trying not to stutter or even cry again at the thought of her daughter's name. "Tomoko-chan's gone right now, but it's not your fault. It never was."

"But—" Kei didn't seem to accept it, still shuddering as Obito glanced between her and Hikari with wide, panicky eyes, stilling. "Hikari-bachan, the tape she left, the things she—" Kei choked. "I should've done something. I should've been there for her! And now—and now—"

Obito hugged Kei a bit tighter.

"Kei." Hikari wasn't surprised that the ninja stilled at the sound of her name. "I don't blame you. Please remember that first. What happened to Tomoko-chan wasn't your fault. I never saw it as your fault. Or Obito's," making the Uchiha still too in the process, "Or Minato-san's, or anyone else's. Yes, I wish she didn't disappear like this and not leave any goddamn clues, but the situation is what it is. From the looks of it,  _someone_  took Tomoko-chan away from us, and we're going to do our goddamn best to get her back."

A glimmer of what finally looked like hope shined in Obito's eye as he nodded, cheeks still wet.

Kei took in a long, shuddering breath. "Then—then—"

Hikari allowed herself a single sigh before lowering her hand to rest on Kei's shoulder. "Kei, why are you blaming yourself? None of us knew this was going to happen. I don't think any of us did. I at least know I don't blame you. Judai doesn't either. And—" she breathed in deeply through her nose to hold back the pain at the name, "Tomoko-chan loved you. She loved you, Obito, Kakashi, Rin, everyone. She wouldn't blame you. I can assure it."

Kei shivered again, not meeting her eyes. "I…" She shook her head, and tears were falling onto her Jounin cargo pants again. "I still  _failed_  her, Hikari-bachan. I left her alone. She came over to Sensei's house to help me after that party, and I just—I just  _brushed_  her off without even saying goodbye when heading out. After—After Sorayama, I thought it would all be okay. That—that  _I_  would be okay. I—I didn't realize I failed again, and just in being  _there_ for her." She hid her face in her hands, shoulders shaking in Hikari's grip. "What kind of friend am I when I can't even  _protect_  her? When I can't even recognize that she was hurting too?"

_Oh, Kei._

"But Kei, Tomo-chan's…" Obito trailed off, words seemingly catching in his throat before he closed his mouth. He turned to Hikari, and she tried not to lurch back at the desperate look in his black eye. ' _Help,_ ' he mouthed.

Hikari took a breath. The words felt foreign, almost dusty in her mouth, but she said it. "Why do you think Tomoko-chan never said anything?"

"Buh?" The strange noise graced the air for a moment before Kei raised her head, tears still bubbling in the corners of her eyes.

"Kei, I said it before." Hikari smiled wryly, squeezing the part of her niece's shoulder that Obito wasn't covering. "Tomoko-chan loved you. And if there's something I know about her, she wouldn't have wanted to worry you." Hikari pointed at herself with her free hand, shrugging helplessly. "I'm the dolt she got it from, after all."

"Hikari-bachan…" Obito inhaled shakily, and she turned to him only to catch his wide eye. "You're not a dolt…"

Hikari shook her head, the same wry smile on her face. "I am, Obito, so try not to convince me otherwise. Kinda in the middle of a small speech."

Obito jolted, looking almost like a deer in headlights before nodding.

Kei stayed silent throughout the small exchange, the only sign of her listening being her shaking shoulders and equally shaky breathing.

"Kei, she…" Hikari gave herself a single, weak exhale for the sake of not letting her own dam break. "Tomoko-chan is stubborn. She's always been. She  _wouldn't_ have told you, even if every single part of her wanted to. Back then, everyone was hurt. Everyone was reeling. And for a girl like that, that silly,  _selfless_  girl like that," Hikari couldn't help but laugh at the thought, "How could she even ask for help on her own? How could she even vent to anyone on her own? She may as well have been protecting us, in her own, misguided, way." Hikari chuckled bitterly, and the pain shooting through her veins hurt. Everything felt like it hurt.

If she focused on the memories flowing through her head, Hikari already knew someone would break down again. Hell, maybe it would be  _herself_ , breaking down, all for the simple fact that she failed as a mother. But it was what it was.

"I…" Kei went quiet again.

The gravity of her words was already hitting her before Kei could say anything else. "…Wow," Hikari laughed again, and she knew that she couldn't deny the burning feeling in her throat anymore. She couldn't deny the tears threatening to bubble up in her eyes and overflow again for what felt like the millionth time today. "I'm trying to help out here, and now I'm the one tearing up again.  _Sheesh_ , I'm pathetic."

Obito reached over to touch her shoulder now, and Hikari gave him a smile.

Kei stayed silent.

"Kei, we…" Hikari breathed in deeply to say it. "We  _lost_  Tomoko-chan. We all did. But that doesn't mean we should be regretting what we did in the past. What matters is what we do with those feelings in going forward."

Kei sniffled, then raised her left wrist to wipe at her eyes. Hikari pulled back to give her some space. It felt like she should've said something, but nothing was coming to mind. Obito was silent too, clearly uncertain about speaking up at all, and the silence was suffocating.

Hikari wasn't sure of what to do. Then again, she wasn't sure if she ever knew. Instead, she took another breath, and rambled. "When I first spoke out against the Hokage, the Third, actually, that was the day my parents ended up distancing themselves. Judai had to step out because we all were arguing, and it was the first time they ever really snapped." She huffed a breath. "First, it was having separate meals. Never really meeting up anymore. Then, I just started leaving the house more often, just to see Judai. The last straw was coming back one night and seeing all my belongings on the front porch, the door locked."

Kei and Obito were now looking up at her as if she had exploded, and Hikari only smiled. "I think we all knew at the time that things weren't going to work out. So, I left. I haven't seen them since."

Instead of waiting for a reply, Hikari reached over to squeeze Kei's free hand. "I'm not going to do that to you."

Kei froze, and Obito gaped.

Even with the tears close to falling, Hikari continued. "I know I don't understand that much about the ninja side of things, even though I'm technically an aunt for every ninja I've known." The laugh this time was bitter, almost sour in her throat. "Hell, I didn't even see my own  _daughter_  suffering either. But that doesn't mean I don't have the chance to change things. That doesn't mean we all don't have the chance to become better people."

Tears that weren't her own were falling down again, and Kei was shuddering.

Hikari reached over to pull her adopted niece and frozen nephew into another hug. "I know this isn't easy. This whole thing is hard to handle. But you're not alone. None of us are."

Kei was already starting to sob. Obito hugged back first, grip hard.

"We're going to get Tomoko-chan back." Her own tears were starting to fall yet again, but Hikari ignored them in favor of tightening the hug. "We're going to get her back, and then be there for her when she's back home with us. We can do it."

"How…" Kei choked, and Hikari could already feel her heart beat hard in sympathy at the sound of the anguish in her voice. "How do you know that? I—"

"You care for Tomoko-chan too." Hikari finished, and Kei froze once more. Obito raised his head from the group hug to stare at her in surprise, and Hikari smiled wryly through her own blurred vision.

"We all miss her, so I can bet my ass on knowing you kids won't give up in bringing her back. I believe in you. All of you."

The diary in her bag ended up being forgotten in the outskirts of the hug. At least for now.

* * *

_Hey…_

_Mama? Papa?_

_Do you think…do you think anyone will remember me when I'm gone?_

Judai could only sigh at the echoes of his daughter's voice before shaking his head. He couldn't focus on the memories now. In front of him was that same aquamarine diary, sitting on Minato's desk table in the Hokage Tower, gold lettering staring at him almost mockingly.

A hand was suddenly covering his, and he turned his head to meet his wife's red-rimmed eyes. Even with the tear stains covering her cheeks, the fire in those blue eyes was as strong as ever, and he couldn't help but smile back. "I'll be okay," he said, and could only hope that she can believe it. He wanted to believe it too.

"Alright." Minato sighs in front of him, and Judai turns to meet his stare. "So, Judai, is it okay?"

Judai bit the inside of his cheek for a moment before glancing around the room. Wataru, Sakumo, Kushina, Kakashi, Obito, Rin, Hayate, and even…even Kei too, were all staring back with mixed expressions of determination and dread.

Before saying anything else, he turned back to the diary, still in arms-reach if he ever wanted to. Hikari's grip on his hand was tight, and so many thoughts were bubbling in his throat only to be held down by his own reflexes.

"…Go ahead," he finds himself saying, and the conclusion was bitter in his mouth as he said it. "Let's do this."

Hikari was the one to open the covers as he braced himself for whatever was incoming.

' _Would you ever forget me…?'_

_Oh, Tomoko-chan. If only you knew._


	25. Failed Execution

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: The climax of the aborted Danganronpa Crossover, where the ninja finally find the pianist they've been searching for this entire past year in-story.  
> Trigger Warnings for implied Suicide Ideation.

_Sparkle 25: Failed Execution_

It wasn't supposed to be like this. I wasn't supposed to be running for my life, in a maze, all alone with nothing but the school uniform on my body and my Wayfinder necklace, clutched in my hand like it was the only lifeline I had.

I wasn't even a ninja. I wasn't even anything. I was just a civilian.

So then why was Enoshima Junko, the so-called Ultimate Fashionista, saying—

"Struggle, struggle, worthless human! Make your life useful with your own death and bring despair upon your classmates!"

All  _that_ on the nearby television screens with the biggest smile on her face? With a  _crown_ on her blonde head? After this past year…

' _Tomoko-chan~! Come over here and let me do your hair! It's so boring as is, you need a makeover!'_

Was it all a lie?

I didn't have time to think about it because a saw was coming at my head. From mere instinct alone, I was already ducking and channeling as much chakra as I could into my Wayfinder, and the familiar blue blade was something I couldn't help but inwardly smile at. It was useful in cutting through the saw like butter, and then I could keep running.

I didn't know where I was going. What I was doing. All I wanted to do was help…I wanted to make up for things.

I failed Kei. I failed everyone back home.

So then, why—

A spear was already coming in at 5 o'clock, so I tried to duck. The faint trickle of blood was already something I had to get used to now, because the amount of times I made a close call was starting to run past the fingers I had. It was more than 10, I can tell you that much.

The slash of my hair was nothing to laugh at, and even with the pain and blood dripping down onto my right eye, I pushed myself forward.

This maze wanted me dead.  _Junko_  wanted me dead. But I couldn't let Junko win. I couldn't die…Not again…

But…but I…

Did I deserve to live? To keep living?

I don't even know how long I was running anymore. Or even when Junko's voice started becoming white noise, in spite of her gloating turning into angry yelling. My knees hurt, my lungs ached, and everything in me wanted to keel over and fall asleep. Maybe even disappear into sparkles like those old Disney movies, if I was lucky enough. Avoid all the blood, too. Maybe even fade into rose petals, like Ruby could with her semblance, and just die without giving Junko any satisfaction.

But…But.

My heart beat hard against my ribs as I puffed to try calming my nerves. The phlegm in my throat was hard to ignore, but I couldn't stop.

I wanted to be back home, back at Nagareboshi Cafe again, back at home with Mama and Papa again.

I wanted to see my friends again. I wanted to see Kei again.

The tears were already blurring my vision, but I kept moving forward. I couldn't think about Kei and everyone else back home now. All that mattered was this ridiculous maze. Iron balls, spears, boomerangs, even a random swinging spike. Like, what the heck. My hands were sweaty, shaking while holding onto my Wayfinder, but it was my only weapon. My only sword.

' _Remember your form, Tomoko-chan. Do not falter._ '

Miyako-bachan. Would she be proud of me? Would…would Papa even be proud of me? Even though I broke our promise of never fighting?

The blood was drying on my face from all the adrenaline, but I kept going. I closed my right eye for the sake of not letting any more blood get into it, and one eye was enough to maneuver around. Chakra could do a lot anyways.

Still, I couldn't run as much anymore. The bruises, the blood, it was all too much. A civilian could only match her ninja friends by so much before collapsing. I could only wish I had trained more in the way Kei and the others did, but what then? With the way my feet dragged, all I could do was jump. Jump, evade, slash at any obstacle coming at me. Metal shrapnel from all the weapons in the maze was starting to stick to my clothes, but I didn't know what else to do.

How long was this going to go…?

How long was Junko going to keep me in here and leave me to die?

I kept going. There was no point in questioning that person anymore. She wasn't even  _worth_  it if she was just going to keep screaming things I could barely hear anymore. A single door with the yellow letters of 'GOAL' loomed in front of me, but with how the television screens still blared Junko's voice, carbon dioxide left me in a huff.

There was no goddamn way I was taking that door handle if I knew what Junko was thinking.

"Another trap," I ended up voicing aloud, and didn't even move towards touching the door. It was too obvious, and Junko  _did_  want me dead. Knowing her true self now… "Nice job, Junko-san. You're too obvious."

I took another breath, wiping the sweat off of my face with my uninjured left hand, taking some blood off my cheek, and clutched my Wayfinder. The chakra blade was still pulsing strongly, so I decided to lean against a nearby wall after touching it for any traps. Junko wanted a despair-like, 'amazing' execution, so what would happen if I did nothing…?

Hisako might've been proud. Maybe.

"What—what the fuck are you  _doing_?!" Junko's voice was finally starting to reach my ears, but even with the palpable anger, I ignored her. "You're at the GOAL! You can go now! You realize I have a despairingly bad temper, right?!"

"But you wanted me to die, right?" I spoke aloud, looking towards the ceiling with what I hoped was the best smirk I had. "Well, I can tell you that I am. But hey. The least I can do is that I'm not going to let  _you_  enjoy it."

I could've sworn I heard Hisako's approving cackle before something shook. I wasn't even sure if it was me or something else, but the maze was  _definitely_ moving. The door had disappeared like a Rubix Cube for a hallway, and that was all I saw before something was rushing me.

I was already pulling up my Wayfinder before something hit my wrist. The cry of pain couldn't be held back this time, because that blinded me, and then something was holding up my arms.

"Wellllll, aren't you a  _smart-ass."_  Junko's voice. Fuck. I opened my eye, only to realize that my Wayfinder  _wasn't_ in my hand anymore, and I looked up only to see dark blue and a frown. "You're too goddamn stubborn and  _boring_ for your own good, Tomoko-chan."

I tried not to flinch. Hearing my old nickname like that didn't help my thoughts. Hell, wiggling didn't do anything, because it was obvious that  _someone_ was holding me up and away from my Wayfinder. My first guess was Mukuro, because  _who fucking else_  would support such a deranged sister? "Aaaaaaanyways~" the old friendly sparkle of hers was back in Junko's eyes, and I tried not to gag at the exaggerated kindness in her voice. "You've been a  _really big thorn in my side_  by not listening and doing your own  _goddamn_ thing, so, Mukuro-chaaaaaan?"

"Here, Junko-chan," went Mukuro behind me, and I tried not to tense at the glint of a big silver  _knife_  being passed between them.

"Thank you, Sis! You're the best, despite your ugly looks!" Junko cooed, and the urge to gag was certainly getting stronger now if not for the grip on my arms tightening  _and_ the knife suddenly being in front of my face. Like, what the  _heck_. "Anyways…for such a meddling  _brat_  like you, who can't even stop carving shapes into my heart…" Junko lightly pressed the blade to my right cheek, smiling all the while like it was another  _goddamn school day_ , and my heart was already catching in my throat once it pricked the skin and let out a drop of blood. Was she even  _sparkling_?! "It's more than enough despair to get back at you with shapes of my own on the  _real you_ , right?"

" _Wh-What the fuck?_ " I squeaked out, and didn't even find myself flinching at the curse. "Junko, wh—"

"You annoy me!" she continued in that same sweet tone, and once the knife traveled down my cheek, creating a line of blood in its wake, bile was definitely building up in my mouth. "So, for an annoyance like you…" Junko reared her hand back, red nails glittering in the dim light.

" _Die in despair for all I goddamn care, you bitch!"_

I couldn't help it. I shut my eyes, whimpering while trying to wiggle again, thinking only one thing.

_**I don't want to die!** _

I wasn't expecting to hear  _wind_  and the sudden SLICK of something wet.

"Wh-what?" Junko went, and I kept my eyes closed. Something dark had just came in, and I didn't know what, but there was suddenly a new pair of  _footsteps_ , and—

" _Mountain Cutter."_

" **Junko-chan!** " Mukuro cried out loudly, almost desperately from behind my head.

Junko gasped once, and then something made a loud THUD noise, accompanied by the cold feeling of the knife leaving the immediate area. Then, I could hear the skidding of…of  _sandals_?

 _No…no, it can't be…_ I tentatively opened one eye to get a glimpse of messy  _black_ hair and a positively  _red_ chakra cloak.

"S-Stay back!" Mukuro was panicking now, and I didn't even have time to react before the grip on my arms tightened and something  _cold_ was pressing against both my waist and left cheek. I tried to wiggle again, only to feel the dread creep up at the feeling of a  _gun barrel_ brushing my school blazer. "Don't come any closer. Or I'll kill her like you did Junko-chan! Junko-chan didn't even do anything to you! She was innocent!"

I closed my eyes from the fear.

"Innocent,  _my ass_ ," that same voice went, and even with the weight bearing on me, my heart beat hard. It had only been a year, but there was only  _one_ person I knew who spoke like that.

… _Kei?_

"Kakashi?" The voice continued, sounding almost like the person was rolling their eyes from the sarcasm. "Go ahead."

That was all the signal I had before there was another SLICK of something, and Mukuro only gasped like a fish choking on air before the pressures against me dropped. From her last whimpers, it was as if she was choking on…on  _blood._  It only took a few extra moments before there was another THUD, and I tried to keep my eyes closed. I didn't want to look up. I didn't want to see the scene.

_There's no way…there's no way…!_

My heart started beating hard again against my chest, feeling almost like it could burst through my ribs at any moment.

A hand that  _clearly_ wasn't Mukuro's was now gripping my shoulders, and I tried to hold my stomach. I was somehow being  _carried_  now, my feet left dangling in the air, and the wind whooshed past my ears, making the blood stick to my face, before there was a gentle landing. "Tomo-chan! Tomo-chan!" Another voice went, worried, and I tried not to get my hopes up. There was no way. No one should be worried about me…

Instead of replying, I opened my eyes, slowly, only to make eye contact with a red-turning-black eye, sparkling while looking at me, and—

"O-Obito…?"

My Uchiha friend, the  _Phantom_  that I hadn't seen for a year was now beaming like it was his birthday. " _Tomo-chan_! We found you!" he screamed dorkily, and then he was  _hugging_  me, and  _ow._ Every single part of me agreed on how my pain receptors were really being a huge pain in the ass right now.

"O-Obi…" The nickname left me instinctively as black dots were starting to flood my vision. "Y-You…"

He pulled away, and then I was seeing two other green Konoha flak jackets and the glitter of a sword…! "Where have you  _been?!_ " Obito yelled, and I tried not to wince. The feeling of  _ow_ was really flooding everything right now to where his voice even started to hurt. "We were looking all over—"

"Obito." It was really  _Kei's_ voice, and I looked up through the blood streaming down my head to meet  _yellow_ eyes, and even with the visible rage, it was still— "Get going. Tomo's hurt."

 _It's…it's really…_ I didn't even realize my vision was blacking out until someone was shouting.

 _There's…there's no way, huh._ I tried not to smile at the irony.  _Even if I'm dying, this is too sick of a joke to play. There's no way…_

Kei's voice again. "T-Tomo?!"

Something was squeezing my shoulders again, but my hands were already falling limp. "Tomo-chan!"

"Obito, we need to call Rin over here  _now_. Use Kamui, dammit!"

_God, you really know how to play a good prank. But…it's good to see Kei and Team Minato in the end if I'm dying again. This…_

"Tomo-chan, don't faint on us!"

_This is a good way of dying, God._

_Thanks._

The last thing I remember was more shouts before the darkness took me over completely.


	26. Stockholm, Where Art Thou

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: The main part of the "resolution" that was planned for the Danganronpa crossover. Also the place where Lang put her foot down for my mental health. Even when looking back on the memories of writing/planning, I don't blame her. Writing this made me cry. Many times.
> 
> The song that Tomoko sings in the story is Everything is Alright from To The Moon. I think that says something.
> 
> Trigger Warnings again for Suicide Ideation and possible Stockholm Syndrome. Also, lots of angst.

_Sparkle 26: Stockholm, Where Art Thou_

When it came to hospital recovery trends, Kei expected at least 2-3 days for Tomoko to be awake again. After all, bleeding from  _both arms_ , some of the legs, and the head was one huge mess. Actively nursing a broken  _wrist_ and what could only be  _chakra_ exhaustion was another thing.

Also, Tomoko  _fainted_ in Obito's arms as soon as the danger was over. That said something.

Kei honestly wasn't expecting the civilian to be sitting up in bed on the first afternoon after coming back from what could essentially be called the "Danger Zone." Because fuck all other titles, there were two teenagers about to kill her best friend with  _smiles_  on their faces, and Kei did not regret slicing their heads off.

Trauma like that should've taken at most a  _week_  for any other civilian to wake up. And yet there she was.

Despite her messy long black hair, which definitely grew out in the time she was gone, Tomoko looked almost calm while staring out the hospital window. Her right hand was still in the splint Rin had made for her since coming back to Konoha, but her fingers were wiggling against a small white stress ball sitting along the folds of the hospital blanket. Probably to make sense of the sensations and not lose feeling in her fingers, no doubt. The blue hospital gown was somewhat wrinkled on her person thanks to sleeping, but to Kei, it just served as an extra, gruesome reminder that it was  _Tomoko_ sitting in the hospital bed and not the other way around.

For once, Kei wished it was the other way around.

Tomoko wasn't supposed to get hurt. She wasn't supposed to be kidnapped, be gone for a year, and then be rediscovered in a dungeon about to get her  _neck_  sliced by a sadist blondie.

Kei had only taken a few steps into the room, and Tomoko still didn't move. Hell, it looked like she was out in space with how she was staring towards the window. All that indicated her living status was her chest heaving softly with breath and her fingers clutching at the stress ball.

 _Squish, squish_ , it seemed to say.

It was only when Kei had walked over to Tomoko's bedside that she registered the soft whisper of her friend's voice. Hoarse, sad, but  _singing_.

" _Short steps, deep breath, everything is alright._

_Chin up, I can't step into the spotlight._

_She said, 'I'm sad,' somehow without any words._

_I just stood there, searching for an answer._ "

Kei couldn't shake off the feeling that the song was about  _her_. Her and everything that happened before this year.

Sorayama, the Chinatsugumi, the depression. All of it. It explained the hint of loneliness. It explained the faint rippling of that chakra rainbow, a rainbow that was barely shining with any color now.

" _When this world is no more,_

_The moon is all we'll see._

_I'll ask you to fly away with me._

_Until the stars all fall down,_

_They empty from the sky,_

_But I don't mind._

_If you're with me, then everything's alright._ "

Tomoko's voice cracked, but she kept going.

" _Why do my words_

_Always lose their meaning?_

_What I feel, and what I say,_

_There's such a rift between them._

_He said, 'I can't really seem to read you.'_

_I just stood there,_

_Never know what I should do."_

The stress ball continued to be squished in-between Tomoko's fingers and her limp right palm.

" _When this world is no more,_

_The moon is all we'll see._

_I'll ask you to fly away with me._

_Until the stars all fall down,_

_They empty from the sky,_

_But I don't mind._

_If you're with me, then everything's alright._

_If you're with me, then everything's alright."_

Something small and wet proceeded to hit the blankets the second the last verse was said, and Tomoko shuddered. She only moved her free left hand up to wipe at her cheeks as a response, and Kei already knew what it was.

It had only been a year, and Kei already knew her friend was crying again.

 _Shit_ , this was difficult.

Isobu nudged her with a tail.  **Don't just stand here.**

Fuck it. She decided to cut to the chase and sat in the nearest chair at Tomoko's bedside.

The little screech made from the chair moving against the tiles of the hospital floor was enough to get the civilian's attention, and she finally turned her head to meet Kei's stare. Her right eye was covered in a medical eyepatch, probably to prevent any blood contamination after the whole execution mess, but the blue color in her left eye was still the same. The sparkles weren't there, but Tomoko's gaze was still the same.

"Oh," she said softly, eye looking a little wet at the edges. "Hi, Kei."

"Hey," Kei replied cluelessly, stunned all the while. For anything Tomoko was going to say, Kei was not expecting  _that_.

"It's been a long time." Tomoko inclined her head with a small and tired puff of air, long hair framing her face in what could only be described as a  _sad_ look. "How have you been?"

**Torn up because you were gone and the village could have been in chaos?**

_Hush, you._ "I'm fine," Kei said curtly instead, but now the questions were nagging at her.  _How_ Tomoko even ended up in that "Danger Zone" in the first place — that was a good place to start. "Just worried."

**Mention me.**

"Isobu was, too," Kei added. Tomoko's visible eye only widened at the admission, and Kei shrugged off the shock as much as she could. "It's been a year, Tomo."

A quiet "Oh," constituted all of Tomoko's response before she lowered her head and clenched at her stress ball again. "I'm sorry."

Kei was already disturbed by how Tomoko wasn't even trying to  _hide_  the fact that she was upset. Her shoulders were shaking again, and Kei could already hear the faint hints of what sounded like, "mimble-wimble."

"Tomo." The civilian immediately froze at the sound of her name being called, so Kei made sure to tone down as much of her emotions as possible. This was an eggshell walkway, alright. "What happened?"

There was a soft mumble of, "Of  _course_ you would start with that." Then Tomoko looked up at her hesitantly between her bangs, eye still wet. "Sugar coat? Or brutally honest? I-I think I can do both."

Kei crossed her arms with a small huff of her own. "I want to hear it from you, not some incredibly neglectful student admin. I don't care about their excuses."

And whoop-de-doo, Tomoko was staring at her with a wide eye now. Fuck. "Are you referring to Principal Kirigiri and Tengan-san? What do they have to do with it?"

Kei held back any sign of agitation to sigh. "They have  _everything_ to do with it, Tomo. Especially since they  _kidnapped_ you." But Kei knew better. It wasn't the best idea to show anger now, even if it was directed at another person, because that blue eye was actually starting to flood with tears, and the walkway was becoming even more delicate. "Still, priorities. What happened?"

Tomoko shrank into herself, squeezing the exercise ball all the while. "Well," she started hesitantly, her voice almost too quiet to even be audible to anyone else but Kei. "When I was gone, I somehow got  _dropped_  into another city. Another city, or, or  _world_ , or something." Her hair proceeded to flop forward and cover the front of her left arm and shoulder, and Tomoko rolled her shoulder to get it to move. It definitely looked like a nervous gesture. "A security guard found me, took me in to see a teacher, and…well, I met with Principal Kirigiri and Tengan-san then. They enrolled me into Hope's Peak Academy, a school for talented students, as the Ultimate Pianist, and that's how I lived for a while."

Kei didn't know whether to sigh or huff in anger. Hearing the names already was bad enough, but to hear that a high school was the cause of this whole mess wasn't helping. "Go on."

The chakra rainbow shuddered, but it was starting to regain something light and familiar. To Kei, it was at least starting to feel  _warm_. "O-Okay." Tomoko gulped, drawing the blankets in closer to herself to start looking like a caterpillar caught in the wrappings of a cocoon. Or, at least, the start of the wrappings of a blanket mummy. The only thing breaking the spell was the civilian's long black hair, still billowing out past the covers to sit on the bed like something out of a fairy tale. "And, and the year, it was okay. I made friends in my class, played the piano, and met other Ultimates, and it  _felt_  okay. I-It was only with…" she paused.

 **Facing near-** _ **death**_   **when we weren't looking?**

 _Shush, let her talk._ Kei folded her hands in her lap to wait.

Tomoko's gaze had officially gone to the hospital blankets as she shuddered again. "L-Let's just say things went to shit when the Student Council was almost entirely  _murdered_ in a Mutual Killing Game."

Kei's blood froze once the statement registered. Her hands immediately clenched into tight fists. " _What._ "

Isobu was just as aghast.  **What.**

"The…the blond girl. The one that was threatening me." Tomoko was shrinking even more into the covers now as her voice lowered. "Enoshima Junko. Ultimate Fashionista and a person I thought was a friend, turned out to be the one who orchestrated it all. Giving weapons and motives for the students to kill each other in the most brutal ways you can think of. Ch-Chainsaw, hammering spears into stomachs, things you'd see in movies. With her twin sister, the Ultimate Soldier, Ikusaba Mukuro. I-I don't know why, but it seemed  _fun_ to them.  _Amusing_ , to see people die."

 **This is more ludicrous than anything else this day has seen,** Isobu said flatly.  **A teenage girl, reveling in killing.** _ **Without**_   **a fighting background or an apparent reason to do so.**

 _What in all goddamn fuck._ Any possible sympathy Kei had for the two was already drying up faster than any desert in the world. Killing them  _was_ a good choice then. She didn't regret it then, she definitely didn't regret it now. "Is that why you ended up in that dungeon?"

Tomoko shrugged weakly, her nose officially covered by the blankets now. "I-I dunno exactly. I was just trying to help people, and really figuring out with my class what happened. There was a lot of student protests over the Student Council's deaths, since the school was covering it up, and when I went to investigate with one of the teachers… Junko caught me." She then proceeded to laugh, a weak one at that, and Kei could already feel her heart cracking. Tomo wasn't supposed to sound like that. "I-I was silly enough to send the teacher away to find the police, and nearly…nearly bled out for my trouble. I would've died, but giving the biggest middle finger to Junko by doing so, since I was going to bleed out and not go out by movie spikes like she wanted, and—" there was then a sniffle. "Well,  _yeah_. I was some kind of Hope to the school, according to Junko, and…yeah. You found me."

Kei kept her mouth shut by digging a tooth into her cheek, steadily increasing pressure as Tomoko spoke. Just when she was about to start bleeding, it was over. "…Hope, you said."

 **Now**   _ **that**_   **is the most farfetched thing I have ever heard this entire past year.**

"Hope. Yeah." Tomoko nodded slowly to herself, and that chakra rainbow flickered again, too weak to be an actual flame anymore. "Something I nearly  _died_ for. And now I'm here again." She squished the exercise ball in her hands, but it was already starting to look misshapen from the tight grip. "And I don't know  _why_."

It was obvious Tomoko had been gone for far too long.

Kei exhaled slowly to release any tension in her shoulders. "…I have to ask. Why, in a world without widespread warfare, would they need a seventeen-year-old girl to stand as their universal symbol of peace."

In Sensei's case, it made sense if Konoha had a symbol equivalent. He was the Fourth Hokage.

Tomoko —  _no_. She was only a civilian. A reincarnated civilian, but still a  _civilian_. An entire world didn't need to  _kidnap_  her.

The civilian only shuddered again, rustling her hospital blanket with the motion. "I-I dunno," she said weakly, "I-I didn't even  _know_  anyone could have that title. A classmate just called me Hopeful, and Junko latched onto that. I dunno what other reason there could  _be_ …" She then covered her face with the blanket, the beginnings of a sob coming out in her muffled voice. "I just don't  _know_ anymore."

Tomoko's last few words were muffled by the blanket and her attempts at preventing tears, but Kei still heard them. The exercise ball was already lopsided on the covers, left forgotten. "I-I just wanted to help people. And make up for being useless. It  _almost_ worked. With Makoto-kun and everyone back at Hope's Peak. A-And now," her hands clenched her blanket as her voice cracked. "I'm back here and I don't  _know_ again."

 _Fuck,_  this was a mess.

If there was a time machine, Kei wanted to use it  _now_ if it meant preventing this. No one should've been left alone. Especially Tomo.

She sniffled. Then: "I-I'm sorry."

Kei raised a hand to stop any more words, taking a breath. There was nothing to apologize  _for_. "What I'm hearing is that an aspiring mass-murderer decided you were gonna be among her victims, Tomo. That's not your fault. Almost dying is  _no one's_ fault but hers. And…" the words were bitter on her tongue, not helped with the faint tinge of metal from the inside of her cheek deciding to bleed out about now, but Kei continued, "Tomoko, what did we ever do that made you think  _usefulness_  was the only reason anyone should look twice at you? Where'd we screw up?"

The chakra rainbow lurched back as if smacked, and Tomoko flinched. She still wasn't looking up from the blanket covers.

Kei put her face in both of her hands, the shame already washing over. "Did we make you think the only reason we loved you was because you were 'useful'? Was that it?"

There was a soft sniffle. "I-I don't know what to tell you, Kei... I don't. All I see are my own screw-ups.  _My_  own mistakes. All I know is that I  _failed_  you when you came home, I couldn't do  _anything_  when Miyako-bachan died, and wh-what kind of use did I have when everyone was scrambling trying to save  _you_? Hope's Peak…was different. I  _got_ to be different."

Even through her hands, Kei could hear the soft change in Tomoko's voice. Almost hopeful, but otherwise still  _foreboding_. Saying that now would be far too tasteless of a comment considering the situation.

Tomoko shivered enough in the covers to the point of Kei feeling the vibration in the blankets. "And, and  _then_ , just when things were changing, I nearly  _died_ on my own suicide mission just wishing I could see you again when it honestly felt like I didn't  _deserve_  it."

Kei shook her head, biting the inside of her cheek again. This wasn't a mess, this was a shitstorm and therapy should've come in  _sooner_. "I didn't blame you for any of that. God dammit Tomoko, you can't swing back and forth between saying you're powerless and blaming yourself for what S-class fuckwads do while we're just trying to live our lives." There was no blame to be found anywhere. "That's not how this works. You put blame on the people who keep trying to kill you  _for trying to kill you._ "

Tomoko finally moved, raising her head with a small, "But—"

Kei leaned back in her chair to sigh deeply, shaking her head. Snapping wouldn't help. Making eye contact wouldn't help either. This anxiety thing  _sucked_ from both ends of the situation, and Kei had to say something now  _because_  she unwittingly played a part in all of it. She would've said it sooner if it meant preventing this entire past year. If it meant making a friend feel  _safe_  for once. "I blame Orochimaru for Sorayama. I blame Madara for Mom's death. It's not, and never has been, on you. I don't remember you picking up the knife and stabbing Mom. You didn't slap a curse seal on me or hire a fucking vampire either."

Tomoko, even when crying, heard everything and jolted with a soft gasp. Her mouth opened, then closed hesitantly, and she ducked her head. Her chakra was shaking too much to really pinpoint whether the reaction was from the information dump or the weight of Kei's words.

In the end, it was still her. Just Tomoko. The only person Kei couldn't truly predict outside of her family,  _because_  she was another reincarnation.

The stress ball had fallen to the floor nearby in the duration of conversation time, and Kei reached over to pick it up, gently depositing it near Tomoko's free hands. "Hope's Peak may not have been the kind of place a shinobi problem would land on. That's fine. But you can't take the problems of places like  _this_  on yourself either." She gently nudged the ball towards the civilian's fingers, shaking her head. Kei couldn't hug her, not now. "Tomo, I've  _never_  seen you do a single thing bad enough to deserve how much weight you keep piling on your shoulders."

_Why do it? Why put it all on yourself? You could've asked for help. You didn't have to go alone._

It was still the one thing Kei didn't understand. Or, she did, but didn't want to say. The questions were left unsaid because for once, she wasn't sure if she wanted to hear the answer. Kei wasn't one to talk either.

 **You have improved,** Isobu said softly.

Kei patted the top of his shelled head.

Tomoko glanced at the ball, blue eye red-rimmed before her lip quivered. "But— But I—" the tears were coming yet again, and she hid in her blankets, shuddering. What now— "I  _ran_ , Kei. Even if I didn't mean to leave, I  _left._  And I was going to  _die_  because I felt like I  _deserved_  it. Then, then—" She shook her head, whimpering, " _Why_. Why do you want me back."

Something snapped.

Was she serious? Was she  _really_ serious? Were these past 18 years really  _nothing_  to her?

"…You're…" the taste of copper was strong on Kei's tongue from still biting the inside of her cheek. Tomoko didn't know. She didn't  _fucking_ know, and it  _fucking_ hurt. "Are you asking why  _your dad_  wanted you to come home? Why your mother cried for three straight fucking months over the idea of never seeing her baby again? Or Obito, who's learned  _two_  Mangekyo Sharingan techniques since you left? Kakashi, who has Kamui and trains himself into the ground. Or Sensei, who keeps telling Naruto and Tatsumaki they'll see you again soon, or Kushina who tells stories of Tomo-neechan?"

**And you, who never stopped looking for her since the day she disappeared.**

Kei was tempted to put a barrier between herself and Isobu all over again, just for saying that.

It wasn't right.

Tomoko was staring at her in shock again.

She  _really_ didn't know.

Fuck anxiety.

Kei finally looked into that teary blue eye, holding back the urge to scream. "Why is it so hard for you to understand that  _we love you_?"


	27. Forever Fall

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: I apologize in advance for this. I just got feels and with things in life sometimes, well, I had to revisit one prompt in the drabble prompt list from so long ago. Note that this is never going to happen in S&S canon proper, but well, my heart had the idea and went with it before it could go into a bad spiral of things.
> 
> So, another S&S bad ending, just after relics left over from the Danganronpa crossover finally graced the Internet.
> 
> The theme is simply titled "Forever Fall" from RWBY. Here you go.
> 
> Trigger Warning for Implied Death.

_Sparkle 27: Forever Fall_

The bright red doors of Nagareboshi Cafe weren't as bright as they used to be. Kei pushed the doors open anyways, just to look around. It was a habit now, even after a year.

Hikari-bachan looked up from her place at the stage, apparently in the middle of playing a string on her violin. The song was one Kei vaguely recognized, some traditional tune Miyako must have taught her at one point. Hikari-bachan smiled at her, blue eyes warm, but there was still that same glint of sadness contrasting the bright green of her performance dress. Her chakra was obvious.

Kei looked away once she caught sight of the covered-up piano.

Catching Judai-jichan's eye didn't take long either, because he approached with a grin similar to the one his wife gave. His casual walking could use some work, and the streaks of gray cutting through his two-toned brown hair was hard to miss. "Hey, Kei."

"Hey, Judai-jichan."

The older man inclined his head, hands on his hips. "Need me to get anything for you? Kakashi's already stopped by."

Her mouth felt too dry to even force a reply. She did anyways. "Water's fine."

"You sure about that?"

Kei took a breath so that she wouldn't snap. "I'm sure, Judai-jichan, I'm sure." She paused before adding a quiet, "Today's the day."

Judai immediately sobered, mouth thinning to a solemn line. "Ah," he said quietly. "So that's what you're here for." He inhaled deeply. "Give me a minute." It didn't even take that long for him to disappear behind the back doors leading to the kitchen, and Kei leaned against a nearby empty table, crossing her arms to wait.

One minute later, and the back doors quietly swung open. In Judai's arms was a moderately-sized bouquet of white lilies, and his smile was grim as he walked back to where Kei was. "I can hold onto the water till you come back. It sounds like you need that for later."

Kei gingerly took the flowers into her hands, being careful to not jostle them. "Thanks, Judai-jichan." Her mouth thankfully was better in articulating a reply. "Thanks."

He grinned before turning her around and pushing at her shoulders. "Go on then. Hikari and I have already went and said what we had to."

Kei didn't need to be told twice, running out of the cafe with the flowers in hand.

* * *

The Memorial Stone was the same as always when Kei arrived at Training Ground Three. The blue kunai shape hadn't changed over the years, the only difference was the number of names scattered across its surface.

With a deep breath, Kei got down to her knees and gently put down the lilies at the foot of the stone, closing her eyes and bringing her hands together in a small prayer.

The newest name was easy to discern on the structure as she opened her eyes a moment later, smiling. Someone left a small pool of glittery stars near that name. She would've liked them, considering her namesake.

"Hey, Tomo. I'm back. Sorry for not coming here sooner. Missions are still a thing."

The wind blew softly, rustling Kei's already messy hair.

"I know, I know, I'm taking care of myself. Mom and Dad are good at making sure of that."

Some of the glitter stars were picked up by the wind, scattering the small pool into ripples against the stone.

"Team Minato's doing what we can, as always. Rin's become a medic rivaling Tsunade. Obito's the Phantom in the Bingo Books, did you know that?"

The wind blew again, a bit stronger. Kei smiled wryly.

"Yeah, yeah, it's better than Tobi. Kakashi's doing what he does in ANBU too. Sakumo-jichan's keeping him in line, so he's not as much of a jerkass anymore."

The lilies were jostled this time by the breeze, and Kei inhaled softly.

"Hayate's become Chunin. You should've seen him. The match was explosive."

Her lip quivered.

"You should've been here. You should've stayed. You  _promised_ , Tomo." Kei sounded exhausted and tired, even to her own ears. "It's been a  _fucking_ year, and I haven't stopped missing you." She inhaled again. "Why did it have to be you…?"

The wind blew again.

" _I know. I'm sorry."_

Now that was just unbelievable. Kei shook her head. "Now I'm just hearing things."

" _Kei… I'm here. I'm right_ here _. I'm still with you…!"_

Kei got up to stand, wiping at her eyes with her sleeve. "I'll visit you again soon. Hope you like the flowers."

She turned on her heel and left with a puff of smoke, leaving the silhouette of a girl behind at the Stone, all alone. The glittery stars weren't even sitting at the Memorial Stone anymore, having all been blown away by the forces of Mother Nature.

" _I'm sorry, Kei. I'm so sorry. I'll watch over you, I promise."_

And with another gust of wind, the silhouette was gone.


	28. Not the Last

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: This was written as a "What-If" story, in response to the whole KeiKashi wedding prompt Lang did a little while back. I never thought I would write this, but since the idea was lurking in my head for a long time, I felt like I needed to.
> 
> The last bit of Angst gracing Small Sparkles, hopefully.
> 
> I'm guessing you're asking "because why? Why did you feel like this to the point of writing?"
> 
> Well. For those of you following me, you might've heard how Tomoko in S&S originally was, at one point, in consideration for death at Orochimaru's hands. The whole KeiKashi wedding thing would be a catalyst, unfortunately enough, and well, I needed to write this to prove to myself that's not going to happen with me as the writer ever and I needed to get this last bit off my chest as a way of moving on. The whole "Tomoko-death-at-Orochimaru" was a result of my innermost insecurities about my and Lang's initial friendship in the early S&S days, and my social anxiety in general, so writing how it won't happen is a way of nailing that idea in its coffin for good.
> 
> So, this.
> 
> It's also why the DR thing is kinda on a indefinite hiatus/never being continued ever, because the angst that was in there was too big of a wallop to the point of Lang getting worried about my mental health.
> 
> Songs referenced in this whole "What-If" thing include marasy's piano cover of Madoka Magica's Connect and Mermaid Melody's Kibou no Kaneoto, in that order.
> 
> The theme for this specific thing though? Madoka's And I'm Home. The original and/or Akio Scenro's piano version work just fine.
> 
> Trigger Warnings are in order for implied anxiety, suicide ideation, death, and depression.
> 
> And please, for anyone who feels suicidal, please contact a help hotline or a loved one as soon as you can. You deserve to be here. Just as much as anyone else does.
> 
> I wrote this to give that original bad ending of S&S some closure and that sad part of Tomoko a happy ending. You all deserve a happy ending too.

_Sparkle 28: Not the Last_

**"Do you, Hatake Kakashi, take this woman as your bride?"**

Isobu, conducting the ceremony like the proud Tailed Beast he was.

"I do."

These two had definitely changed for the better from the ninja who glared at each other in my living room so long ago.

**"And do you, Gekkō Keisuke, take this man as your husband?"**

"I do."

We were all grown up, huh. I never would have thought two decades ago that Kei would ever say such a thing. But here we were.

Isobu's large arms, covered in sand and seawater, landed on each side of the soon-to-be married couple with gentle grace, a low rumble sounding in his throat. The eight ninken lined up near the platform were all wagging their tails, and I didn't miss how Isobu's large eye met my stare for a moment as he lowered himself to eye level with the rest of the audience.  **"Then you may kiss. And anyone who would dare voice any objections** _ **will not do so,**_   **or I will eat them."**

I made sure to smile as brightly as I could back at the Tailed Beast while holding back the urge to cry.

Rin nudged me softly while wiping a happy tear from her eye. "Beautiful. Don't you think so, Tomo-chan?"

"Yeah," I said softly. My heart beat against my chest. "It is. I'm glad I got to see this."

My mind already knew that it might be the last.

* * *

No one minded my song choices for Kei and Kakashi's wedding. A full piano rendition of  _Connect_ , because of course I had to honor my roots, and then singing  _Kibou no Kaneoto_.

" _Sing this last song…"_

 _The Sound of the Bells of Hope_.  _Love Goes On_ , was the subtitle.

I wished for so many years that my friends could be happy. And here they were.

Obito and Rin, smiling at one another while dancing on the dance floor.

Gai, crying tears of joy when Genma caught the bouquet in front of Raido.

And my best friends. Kei and Kakashi. They were married, they were smiling, and they were laughing.

They all were happy.

It was why I decided this would be my last concert. My last performance as the Civilian Pianist.

They didn't need me anymore. It was obvious they all were focused on each other.

So, my job was done, wasn't it?

My stomach shook from butterflies, but by the time I sang the last verse and stepped off the stage past all the loud applause, clutching my Wayfinder necklace all the while, Isobu was turning an eye at me again. Did he notice?

 **"Tomoko,"** he rumbled, almost too quiet from the sound to be his normal conversational tone.  **"Where are you going?"**

He did notice. Of course.

I never thought in my entire life that I would have the honor of being called  _by name_  by Isobu himself. Or the fact that he would want to talk with me without wanting to stomp on me like the insect I was compared to him. Still, I put on a smile and nodded in his direction as a sign of acknowledgement. I heard him. "For a walk, Isobu-san. All the performing and party antics can get to someone, see."

 **"Hm,"** he said softly, and I could've sworn I heard a huff of irritation. Or was it another one of my hopeless delusions?  **"By yourself?"**

I nodded again. "I…I just need to be alone for a while in the fresh air, Isobu-san. I'll be okay."

Yet again, my stomach churned as a dark part of my mind said,  _No, you're not. You'll never be okay_.

Why now?

That large red-yellow-ringed eye continued to stare at me, almost disbelievingly.

He wasn't supposed to be looking at me like that. Not at me.

I held back the urge to reach out towards him, instead smiling. "Really, Isobu-san. If Kei asks, I just went out for a walk. I'll be alright."

_You liar._

Isobu stared at me for a few more moments before he took a step towards me, and I wasn't expecting the almost gentle nudge against my head, rustling my long hair.  **"Alright. But if anything happens—"**

"I'll call you or Kei or the other ninja," I said, feeling a truer smile start to form on my lips. "I know. Thank you, Isobu-san."

The Three-Tails pulled back to stare at me again, and I could've sworn I saw  _understanding_  in the red-yellow rings.  **"Do not stray far."**

I finally decided to put a hand on one of his many horns, still smiling. "I won't."

My stomach churned as my chakra curled up in on itself, hiding.  _You goddamn liar, Tomoko. You goddamn liar._

Yet again, I wished I could hear Hisako's voice.

Yet again, I wished someone could save me.

* * *

The walk to the top of Hokage Mountain wasn't as difficult as I thought it would be. Despite my wearing heels. Sure,  _my_  heels were short ones, actually hitting a bare  _inch_ of height, but a part of me expected that I would be suffering from cramps or foot blisters by the time I could see the entirety of Konohagakure.

The moon was already high in the horizon, shining down on the rocks beneath, and I could already see how there was no railing at the cliff.

My heart beat again.

_They're…they're going to be okay, right? Right?_

Silence greeted my mind yet again.

I walked over to the cliff. Looking down, I could see almost everything. The Hokage Tower, the Academy, the shopping district, and the many stone faces of the past four Hokage, Minato-san included.

This was my home. This  _is_  my home.

_I've done enough, haven't I?_

I raised a foot past the cliff's edge for a moment before immediately drawing back in a cold sweat.

The air felt cold. Chilly and desolate.

 _What the—what the_ fuck  _am I thinking?! I can't die… I_ can't _. Everyone would—_

Team Minato's faces flashed through my mind. They looked happy. They  _were_ happy.

…Weren't they?

The hem of my blue dress fluttered in the wind as it blew against my back.

_But…I did everything I could…didn't I? Should I go now?_

_You should_ , that dark part of me whispered.

_But not like this. I just thought of leaving the village…like a vagabond, so I could help others…not…not…_

_You need to die now, though. It's all over. They don't need you._

_No, no, nononono, I—_

My thoughts were already remembering pools of red.

_I don't want to go like this!_

"TOMO!"

It was as if the darkness had stopped. As if all  _time_ had stopped. The stars were shining in the sky again, and the moon seemed almost brighter.

My heart leapt in my chest as the first tear started budding in my eye. I couldn't even get the chance to whip my head around before a hand firmly grabbed my forearm, and I was getting pulled back. I didn't even realize we had crashed onto the gravel of the mountain until I was staring at the inside of a  _suit_   _jacket_ , and someone was huffing above my head.

"Thank  _god_ ," they went harshly before another hand landed on the back of my hair and pulled me closer into the hug.

I knew this presence. I knew this voice. They were supposed to be at the wedding. They weren't supposed to be  _here_.

"K-Kei?" My voice came out hoarse, raw.

My reincarnation buddy didn't respond, only gripping my arm tighter as the hand on my head went down to the small of my back, winding around my waist to pull me upright, squeezing. Her breath came out short and almost ragged above my hair, and my heart was still beating hard.

"Kei…" My left, ungrabbed hand, hesitantly reached up to tug at the hem of her jacket. She wasn't supposed to be here. She was supposed to be with Kakashi and the others, celebrating her own goddamn wedding. She wasn't supposed to be  _here_ … "Kei, why…"

"Isobu told me you went out, and I got a bad feeling," was the short and terse reply, and she pulled back to stare at me with hard, almost shocked eyes. What? "Tomo, why were you at the fucking  _cliff_? If you walked any further—" she bit her lip as she slowly let go of my right forearm, hand going to cover her face. "Tomoko, you could've  _died_."

It was as if hot coals were shoved down my throat.

I didn't want to die. I didn't want to go, but…

When my friends finally found love, where would I be?

"I…" Tears were already starting to bubble up in my eyes as my voice cracked. I tried to smile, but seeing the bride — my reincarnation buddy — like this… She was supposed to be  _happy._ "I just thought…I just thought that my job was done. That I could go, a-and leave you all be so you could be okay  _without_  me. I-I wasn't meaning to  _jump_ , if that's what you were thinking."

"Tomoko," Kei's voice turned hard again, this time with disbelief as she lowered her hand from her face to stare at me. "I  _saw_ you lift that foot of yours over the rock. That's suicide, or suicide ideation if you ask me."

This time, what felt like cold water splashed over me. "I-I didn't…I…"

When did my thoughts start leading me to nearly dying like  _Vy_ , without even saying goodbye?

I wasn't expecting Kei's stare to turn soft in my direction. "Tomoko, what's wrong? Where'd I screw up? Where'd  _we_  go wrong?"

What?

The last straw was everyone else starting to run into the area too, sandals almost beating into the gravel as they approached.

"Tomoko?" Kakashi's voice. He was here.

"Tomo-chan!" Ricchan, no,  _Rin_ — she was here too.

"Kei, did you find her?!" Obi… of course…

" _Hime_!"

Papa…

Tears were already blurring my vision as a shaky smile came over my face. "I-I…I…"

A calloused hand reached over to touch my cheek, just as the first tear started trickling down. "What is it, Tomo?"

Kei, you absolute dork. It had to be you. You always saved me, didn't you…

Even now…

The words came out in-between the start of gross-sounding sobs as I covered my face with my hands. My hair was sticking to my face, my heart wasn't letting up in its marathon, and I just didn't know whether this was a dream or  _reality_  anymore. But they were  _here_ , and my friends needed answers. I wanted out of this darkness  _now_. "Kei, I-I think I'm lonely and, and kinda  _anxious_  a-and  _maybe_ suicidal, from the looks of it, a-and I need  _help_. I don't know anymore."

The only response I got was another tight hug as my loved ones started crowding around me. "We can do that, Tomoko." A hand started going through my hair as people started joining into the group hug. "We can do that. You're never going to be alone."

That did it.

For the first time in a long time, I started bawling like a baby.

Even with her wedding suit getting soaked, Kei never let go.

No one else did either.

I clung to them, and they let me.

This was real.

And every time I wailed, the tight,  _combined_  grip on me reminded me of that.


	29. Swing of a Tail, Miss?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: This is actually a story that's been sitting in my notes a while for S&S, and with an Organic Chemistry midterm hanging over my head at that time, I needed to get away. Note that the original version of this was written back in the summer of 2017, so it's old and I had to revise some things. Hence a certain Tailed Beast not sounding fully himself in my opinion. Early writing, go.
> 
> Not to mention, I remember sending the first draft of this to Lang about it a long time ago, and she liked it enough then. And, well, the actual story's still in its early set-up stages, so this scene will see changes later. For now, writing shared! Answering a certain anon from so long ago. Because it helps keeping me out of the Sulking Corner otherwise with a temptation to cry from frustration.

_Sparkle 29: Swing of a Tail, Miss?_

For once, I was the one who brought up the idea.

"Hey, Kei-chan? Is it okay if I could try talking to Isobu-san?"

My best friend was in the middle of drinking her tea (courtesy of Mama, who gave it to us earlier before we slipped into my room for the usual canon-debunking/life catch-up), so I wasn't fully shocked at her near-spit take at my words. Thankfully, she didn't choke  _or_  spit out her tea, but ended up coughing into her hand anyways as her cup found its way back onto the table.

" _Wh-What?"_  she breathed, tone clearly showing her disbelief. "T-Tomo, do you even  _realize_ what you're fucking asking?"

"…Yes," I said after a small beat, blinking. Then I raised my pointer finger in the air for the sake of… well, making my point. No pun intended. "I was hoping to try talking to Isobu-san. The Three-Tails?"

Kei stared at me as if I had grown a second head.

Then again, with Hisako…

"I heard you the first time," Kei then deadpanned, shaking her head. "But Tomo.  _Tomo._ " Kei ducked her head down, no longer meeting my eyes. "This is a  _Tailed Beast_  we're talking about, y'know. I already 'kinda' got in trouble with someone about his presence," emphasized with heavy air quotations, "even when I thought I could handle it, and they were actual  _ninja_. You're…"

"A civilian who looks like she can't handle herself for shit?" I filled in adequately.

Kei averted her eyes again, this time glancing to the side and focusing on my closet. She didn't say anything. She didn't have to.

I found myself sighing. "I know, I know, weak blow."

"Towards you, yeah," Kei added quietly.

Even with that, I still found myself smiling. "But I still want to go anyways."

Kei raised her head to look at me with another strange face. I was honestly grateful for the fact that it didn't look zombie-like. "Tomo, are you  _serious_? I'm not sure if he'll listen to you."

"Even so," I nodded my head, clenching my hands a bit tighter in my lap. "I want to try talking to him. There's something I feel like he needs to know anyways. Especially since he  _is_  an integral part of you now. Considering all the shit the Tailed Beasts have gone through in history, I feel like that he deserves to know what I have to say at least."

Kei inclined her head at me with confusion now. "Question. You're not going to start rambling when you see him, right?"

"No promises," I said immediately. "It's all from the heart."

Kei proceeded to facepalm.

"…And here I thought Mom's meditation would've stuck," she mumbled.

I shrugged. "Eh. Even with control, I'm an open book. That's not going to change for  _quite_ a while. Sue me."

Kei removed her hand from her face as she started to chuckle. "Okay, okay, you got me, you goofball. But don't be  _too_  open, Tomo, okay? This  _is_  a Tailed Beast we're talking about here. And if Isobu even  _opens his mouth_ to eat you, I'm pulling you out. Simple as that."

 **If not that, then I'm doing it before she can.** Hisako added hotly.  **After everything that's gone down, you're**   _ **not**_   **dying again on my watch, honey.**

"Crystal clear on that, ma'am," I answered to them both.

Hisako hummed in approval as Kei lurched back, frowning. "Don't call me ' _ma'am_ ,'" she said slowly, before going through some quick hand-seals. "And try not to scream."

"Why would you say that—" I didn't have time to finish that sentence before Kei put her right hand on my head and my vision  _warped_.

The first thing I noticed when the bright lights cleared was that we were in a mental world. More specifically, Kei's mental world.

And…

"Why is it so  _wet_  in here?" I found myself commentating.

No matter where I looked, I was ankle-deep in what appeared to be a towering, overarching  _ocean_. Unlike my own mindscape, where Hisako and I had constructed our own mental library to hold memories and so on in the form of books, there was barely anything to this world, only having an expanding blue sky above our heads and ocean covering our feet.

At least the constants that carried over from my mental world was my appearance and Hisako's presence. When looking down at myself, I was still wearing the same moving galaxy-patterned kimono dress, with white stockings and geta sandals hidden by the waves lapping at my ankles. Along with the orange hair ribbon at my left hair strand (from an outsider's point of view when looking at me anyways), this seemed about right.

Hisako, on the other hand…

**"Huh. So apparently I float in here. Good to know."**

I turned to my left at the sound of her voice, just to nearly jump at seeing my other self there,  _floating_  as she said she was. With her sneaker-covered feet hovering at least an inch or two above the ocean that we were in, it was a change from her usual appearance. Aside from that, everything else was the same—purple blouse, jeans, long brown hair, and circular blue-green glasses.

My Nobody had essentially become a modern-looking Genie with the levitating trick.

 **"Hello, Tomoko-chan."**  Hisako hummed when meeting my eyes, crossing her arms behind her head.  **"Hope you don't regret this."**

"Not planning on it," I said flatly. Then it was looking around. With the ocean and sky, where was—

"It's been awhile since I've seen you wear that," Kei answered mildly from over my shoulder.

"Wah!" I tried not to scream more than that, and turned around to see my best friend donning the same attire from before, only lacking the glasses I saw her in the last time we were sharing minds. White-purple hoodie, shinobi pants, and all. The only other thing I think she was missing was her hitai-ite. "Oh," I said, taking a breath, "Hi, Kei-chan."

"Yo," she said with the same mild tone. Her black eyes then darted over to Hisako's direction. "Hi, Hisako-san."

 **"Hello, Kei,"**  Hisako answered, warm smile on her face.  **"I'm guessing you've been comfy?"**

"…Kind of," Kei hesitated before motioning with her arm behind her. "And he's here."

I only had a moment to process what she said before the water underneath us rippled. Then, a voice shook the whole landscape to where I nearly felt my hair stand on end.

 **"WHAT IS GOING** _ **ON**_   **HERE?"** were the apparent first words of the large turtle known as Isobu.

Back when I was Vy, the only Tailed Beast I was familiar with in terms of appearance was Kurama. And since he was the Nine-Tailed Fox, that said enough. But for Isobu? Oh man, I was seriously wondering  _how_  my past self missed this guy, because…

"Did anyone tell you you look completely scary, but awesome  _and_  handsome at the same time, Isobu-san?" was the first thing that left my lips.

A long pause followed. Along with the faint chirp of crickets.

Hey, blame a girl for being honest. Seeing a large turtle sit in front of me like this, spiked tails swishing in the air, I found it all rather cute. And handsome.

The one large red-yellow rimmed eye focused on me with almost pinpoint accuracy before widening.

 **"…What?"**  he rumbled finally.

Kei looked at me as if I had grown a third head. Woo. " _Tomo?!"_  she freaked.

Heat flooded my face almost instantly as I could hear Hisako facepalm.  **"Tomoko-chan…"**

"U-Uh, I'm sorry about that, I didn't mean to be rude!" Out of habit, I found myself bowing my head in Isobu's direction. "Um, I'm Hoshino Tomoko, Kei's friend and civilian pianist. It's very nice to meet you, Isobu-san."

The Three Tails then proceeded to answer with a surprisingly quiet,  **"Human. How do you know my name? And who is that girl next to you?"**

 **"Um,** _ **excuse me,**_ **"**  Hisako proceeded to cut in, sounding very much offended.  **"I'm an** _ **adult**_ **, thank you very much. And I'm Hisako. Call me Tomoko-chan's conscience when she doesn't have one."**

"Hey!" I flailed.  _Hisako, you're not helping!_

 **Screw that shit,**  Hisako commented bitingly,  **I'm not a kid!**

Kei was now glancing between all three of us as if we had gone nuts.

I then coughed into my hand to get my composure back before looking back up at the turtle. "…Well, Isobu-san, I'm just like Kei. I know your name from past memories. That's how."

The same large eye widened again, almost big enough to where I could see myself reflected in it.  **"Explain,"**  he then demanded eloquently.  **"NOW."**

 **"Hey, you don't have to be so rude about it—"**  I made sure to raise a hand up for Hisako to stop her potential rant, only for my other self to look at me with clear confusion and disbelief.  **"Tomoko-chan—"**

"Hisako, please," I said quietly. "Just let me do this." It was only when Hisako nodded that I looked at Kei, meeting her rather panicked eyes with a smile. "You too, Kei-chan."

The ninja seemed to be caught between shaking her head and just sitting there like a gaping fish before closing her mouth and nodding curtly.

 **"WELL?!"**  Isobu promptly demanded, tails swinging to where I could feel myself and the world around us shake.  **"Talk, as you humans like to do!"**

Nonetheless, I took a step forward to bow my head. At least, as far as I could without doing seiza, since doing that in the water probably wouldn't make for a better first impression. "First up, Isobu-san, I'm sorry. On the behalf of all those who hurt you in the past, I wanted to tell you, ' _I'm sorry.'_ "

The same three spiked tails swished in the air again, a little less irritated this time. I took it as my signal to continue.

"I know, this must sound weird and probably foolish to hear from  _a little girl_  you just met, especially since I'm probably invading a lot of personal territory by saying your name alone, which I also apologize for," I made sure to bow my head lower for the sake of proving my point, "but I felt like I needed to say that. The apology, I mean. Especially since…" I trailed off, holding back any sign of hesitation via gulping my saliva. Then, I made sure to look up and stare into that same eye while speaking aloud. "Especially since no other human aside from the Sage of Six Paths treated you with the same respect otherwise, Three-Tails-san."

The red-yellow eye widened even more as silence greeted me.

I didn't miss how Hisako and Kei looked at each other behind me with wide eyes and small whimpers that sounded a lot like worries I knew from another life.

Then, Isobu replied with a quiet,  **"You know. You know of the Sage and…"**  His tails waved in the air, a bit more softly this time, as though placated. Curious even, if I could say that much.  **"Your chakra functions almost like…"**

"Almost like his?" I answered with the same quiet tone.

 **"Yes,"**  Isobu finished gently.  **"The first form of chakra, ninshu. You…you,**   _ **a little girl**_ **, know how to use it?"**

If I didn't know any better, it was as if the large turtle sounded like a small child, having just wandered out of their corner asking for their parents.

"…Yes," I said finally. "I do. I don't know  _how_ , but I do. And it's with that in mind that I wanted to apologize. Since I'm not sure how I'm doing it, and I can't speak for other humans who have long lost that knowledge already. Nor can I speak for  _why_  people have hurt you and your siblings for so long."

The large turtle for once went completely silent, not even growling, instead simply staring at me with that large red-yellow eye.

_Is he…Is he listening to me?_

I slowly got to my feet while still keeping eye contact with him, pushing the thought to the side. "But still. Humanity thus far has failed in achieving the Sage's original dream of understanding one another through chakra. Ninshu was lost in exchange for ninjutsu, and I can't apologize enough for how much pain it put you and the other Tailed Beasts through. Nor can I guarantee that things will get better." I took a breath before bowing my head again. "So, on the behalf of all humanity,  _I'm sorry_."

"…" Isobu blinked that large eye at me before raising his head towards the sky. The last thing I was expecting then was for him to roar.

It wasn't even a threatening roar, despite how the volume shook the entire mindscape. And the presence of the two others in the world with me.

If I had to make a comparison, it was as if…

It was as if Isobu-san was  _crying out_. To who, I wasn't sure.

To the Sage? To his siblings? I didn't know.

 **"…Leave,"** he said finally, glancing at me once the sound faded into the air.  **"Go. Now."**

I only had to look at Kei  _once_  before my vision warped again.

The next thing I knew, we were back in my room again, and Kei was staring at me in a mix of awe and shock.

"Tomo, we have a  _lot_  to talk about," she said finally, scooting over so that she could wrap an arm around my shoulders in a half-hug. "Because that was…"

"A thing?" I finished sheepishly, shrugging with a small smile.

 **Most** _ **definitely**_   **a huge thing, dear.**

"A lot more progress than I ever did," Kei answered instead, grinning softly. "So, should I start, or you?"

"Either or," I said, leaning against her shoulder with a long sigh. Who knew that saying all that could take so much out of you? "We have a lot of time."

 _A lot of time to hopefully fix things._  My mind finished.


	30. A Turtle in the Sea

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: This was written in response to the whole "Kei-Death-and-Isobu-Angst" prompt Lang got this past summer. Because I'm a fluff master at heart and every Tailed Beast needs a hug.
> 
> I recommend pulling up the original song and translated lyrics of Mermaid Melody's Legend of Mermaid for the whole impact of this drabble-turned-small story. Because this is going into the Lighter and Softer The Sea and Stars universe. :p

_Sparkle 30: A Turtle in the Sea_

Despite my seeing a lot of the Canon Narutoverse beyond that of my reincarnation buddy, Kei, I didn't know much about Isobu. Aside from his sealing into Yagura and the whole mishap with Canon Rin, I didn't have much else on him, unlike say, Kurama or Shukaku. Perhaps it was a fault of Kishimoto for not expanding on that part of the story, or really the whole Japanese work industry in general when it came to manga. After all, people in Japan were known to  _die_ from overworking before. Still, the whole question mark situation about Isobu would be the same and would remain unchanged if I didn't do something about it.

Hisako, naturally, didn't approve of my thought process.

 **Tomoko-chan, he's a giant Tailed Beast and you're a civilian girl who's** _ **lucky**_   **to have powerful ninja on her side,** _ **plus**_ **a chakra ability that's been extinct for** _ **years**_ **.** _ **Why**_   **do you want to interact with him?**

 _To make a difference. And to at least jumpstart Friendship when Naruto hasn't come around as a Hero yet_.

My Nobody immediately went silent at that.

Still, despite my resolve, I had no real way of contacting him. Sure, I could ask Kei, but considering the rumors I heard when it came to the  _last time_ she let someone in her head?

Not exactly a great idea to consider…

It was why one day, I just sat at the piano when no one else was around, singing  _Legend of Mermaid_  all the while as a way of expressing my thoughts.

By now, it was probably a song no one in  _my_  Narutoverse would recognize. Kei and Obito might, but aside from that, no one from the old world was really into  _Mermaid Melody_  like I — like  _Vy_  was. No one was really invested in the tale of mermaids trying to interact with the surface world and save their brethren from sea demons through the power of music. But those mermaids did something for me. For Vy.

They proved, at least, that love, whether platonic or romantic, meant something to people. Even in spite of selfishness and dark thoughts.

So, I sang all the while in the quiet environment of the cafe, not even having to  _think_  for the lyrics to come up to the tip of my tongue. My heart and mind would always know the route needed to return to the seven seas.

I wasn't expecting Kei to sneak up on me, or just sit down next to me on the piano bench, interrupting with a quiet call of my nickname. Thankfully, I had just finished a verse, so I could stop and stare.

Kei scratched the back of her head before meeting my gaze with a sheepish look. "Quote from Isobu. 'What seven seas are you singing about, and why are you assuming there is a shining future.'" She frowned as her gaze went elsewhere, almost as if she was spacing for a moment before she turned back to me. "Sorry about him. Being rude, I mean. I didn't exactly know the song."

Hisako let out a loud shriek in response, Oblivion Keyblade clanking against the library tile in my head.  **ISOBU? Asking about** _ **your stuff**_ **?! Did a planet blow up or something!?**

_Hisako. Shush for a moment, please._

My Nobody subsided with a loud huff.  **If you say so.**

_I can do so, Hisako. It's okay._

Outwardly, I just smiled and shrugged my shoulders. "It's part of the song, those seven seas. Same thing with the shining future part. And…" Well, there wasn't any better way of putting this, so I activated the nearest privacy seal on the piano before continuing. "Well, it's a song from Vy's time. When the world could have seven seas.  _Legend of Mermaid_ , it's called."

"Huh," Kei said softly, but I could tell without even needing to be a chakra sensor that I threw her for a loop. She didn't know. Of course.  _Mermaid Melody_ was an offbeat anime, even for the early 2000s, so not a lot of people except those who really lurked on YouTube a lot saw the show. "And, you were singing it because—"

"Because I felt like it and it still means something to me?"

Kei paused again, and she glanced to the side before turning back to me. "Is that it?"

Of course she caught on. "I was thinking of Isobu-san in the process too?" My voice cracked with the admission.

Another pause. "Isobu just asked, 'Why.'" Kei said finally, and her solemn tone delivered everything.

Isobu was listening to me.

I just smiled again, in spite of the sweat building up in my palms. "Because everyone deserves a little something and that song was the only thing I could think of that resembled the sea. Aside from, well,  _Lugia_."

_And I don't know how else I can talk to him without possibly insulting him by accident. Humanity wronged the Tailed Beasts enough already, and a small song is the least I can do._

Kei gave me an incredulous stare. Then, she whipped her head to the side for a single second, signaling another spacing. Once the moment was over, and I had time to wipe my hands on my kimono skirt, she turned back to me with that same sheepish smile. "Could you sing it again? All of it this time?"

My heart jumped a meter high in my ribs as I nodded, almost too eagerly. "I wouldn't say no."

Singing about the paradise of the seven seas and the treasure island past the shortcut, this time at least, seemed to do something. If I closed my eyes and thought about it, I could've sworn I heard a soft, neutral rumble in the air.

It was enough for me.


	31. The Start of Something Else

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: Originally written late at night to flesh out an idea originally encouraged by Os and inspired by CYB 81. I don't know when this would take place in S&S, probably before October Tenth where things went to shit, but it's been something.
> 
> A final send-off, I suppose, to my old crush on Lang. Because yes, I used to have one. I still love her, but not in that way. She's my best friend and one of my greatest friends ever, and nothing more, nothing less. Friend is honestly the best title I can give. Kei and Tomo are the same.
> 
> Please go along and play Tomo He from Cardcaptor Sakura for the second half of this piece. Since I find that the song is beautiful and fitting, more so when looking at the translated lyrics.

_Sparkle 31: The Start of Something Else_

"So, are you two dating?"

The question was completely out of the blue, and to be honest, not expected in the slightest. Kei had tensed first with the way her shoulders stood, and my feet were already freezing in my sandals as it took all I had to swivel my head back towards the person who had asked. It seemed to be a curious civilian I hadn't seen around the cafe before, her brown eyes earnest as she leaned in to look at us. Curtains matched the eyes with her tied-back curly brown hair too. In a ponytail. The only things keeping her away from Hisako's exact appearance (specifically of my past self) was the obvious Japanese-inspired clothing that Konoha had as a standard, the curly ends of said ponytail, and a lack of glasses.

Hisako, though…

 **Did she seriously ask that?** My Nobody was raising Oblivion like a hammer as her jaw clenched.  **Did this person** _ **seriously**_ **ask that?! While you two are hanging out!? THE NERVE!**

At least she was expressing it better than me when it came to the brutal side of honesty.

"Um," I started, feeling my voice crack. "Not to be rude, but uh. Wh-What brought that on, if I could ask?"

"It's because you two always walk together!" the girl didn't even seem deterred, leaning in enough to burst some kind of bubble with the sparkles in her eyes. Earnest, sure, but to be on the receiving end of that… "And the way you two talk so openly, with the hugs! It's so cute!"

"Um," my face was already starting to feel hot, because  _what_. We were already attracting a crowd from the girl's loud voice, and this entire scene being out in  _public_   _daylight_  did not stop the sudden marathon my heart was riding on. "Th-Thank you?" It came out as an unsure squeak than anything else. "But, um."

The wayward stares were painful.

Why couldn't I say anything. Why couldn't I say anything.

Why couldn't my heart stop,  _whycouldn'tmyheartstop—_

"Hey, about that."

Thank god for Kei.

"Sorry to rain down on your train, ma'am," she said coolly, arms crossed while turning back to face the road in front of us. "But we're not in that kind of relationship. Tomo and I have been childhood friends, and she's still my best friend now. Nothing else to share." An arm went around my shoulders, and my breath hitched as soon as my feet were moving again. Kei was — she was pushing me forward. "Now, if you'll excuse us, we'll be leaving."

She was helping me get out of the situation. Of course.

Hisako stayed silent, letting out a single sigh of relief.

"Huh?" A pause. "W-Wait, I still have a question!" the girl yelled after us, the gravel scratchy in sound as she took a few quick steps forward. She was still going on about this? Even though she wasn't even bothering to introduce herself? "Are you two really not dating?!"

A single second was all it took. My best friend turned her head.

"No," Kei said flatly. "Now mind your own business."

And with one more push, we were walking out of the crowd, and I just had the smallest sliver of time to look back and mouth an apology, bowing my head apologetically. Judging by Kei's grip, she wasn't planning on letting go anytime soon, at least until we got out of the situation without any stragglers, so all I could catch was the girl's shocked brown eyes before getting pulled away.

"Fucking hell," Kei muttered, and my mouth still felt dry as soon as the familiar visage of Nagareboshi Cafe loomed in the distance. "What kind of question was that? Out in public too, just when we were walking to fucking  _relax_ …" she trailed off, and it only vaguely registered in my head that she was giving me a confused side-eye. "Tomo?"

When did I stop breathing?

Better question. When did I stop responding? Why was my heart still—

_Lub-dub, lub-dub, lub-dub._

I put a hand to my chest, over my Wayfinder necklace to squeeze. I ended up taking up some part of the front of my dress, but the grip was comforting. Relieving.

The hand on my shoulders squeezed too. "Tomo-chan?" The gruff voice from before was gone, exchanged for the softness that I already knew as something safe.

Kei was always someone safe.

I took in what felt like my first breath this entire afternoon before looking up at Kei apologetically. "I-I'm sorry. Thinking. Or, something." The smile on my face felt forced this time as I instinctively shrugged my shoulders, my Wayfinder still clutched in-between my fingers. "I'm sorry." There wasn't anything else to say  _but_ that.

"Tomo, what are you apologizing for?" Kei said incredulously, eyes wide. "You didn't do anything —  _Oh_." The realization was quick, probably because of the mess my chakra was making right now. The controls weren't even in hand now because of my heart beating so hard. She immediately pulled me into the cafe, walking past all the customers and the hubbub before opening the backdoor that led to the stairs up to the place I knew as home, closing the door behind us without too much trouble. "Hey, Tomo, you don't have to overthink it. We can talk about it. It might help."

 **That sounds nice.** Hisako said softly. She gave me a nudge.  **Go on, Tomoko-chan.**

"Fweh," was the little noise that left my throat, because now my heart was beating again, I was nervous again, and I didn't want to  _mess up_ again. This was starting to sound like something else I remembered, and the last time—

_"What?"_

That last time, I never saw Ty ever again.

"Just, Kei, I…" I gulped, ducking my head, because making eye contact with her would be hard, and the way my heart was going was not a good sign. This was starting to look like  _that_ day all over again, and I hated it. I hated me. "It's hard  _to_ talk right now, and… and I don't want to make you feel bad. Or just ruin things. I… I'm scared."

Tears were already starting to come up to my eyes with the snot budding in my nose.

_"What did you just say?"_

The parallels were too much. My heart was too much.

Kei took a breath, and the hand lifted itself off my shoulders. A few steps was all it took, and then I could see the front of her green flak jacket. "Tomoko. You can talk to me about anything. There's nothing to be scared of. At least, I hope so." She paused before reaching over, and I tried not to jolt when the same hand from before reached over to squeeze my right shoulder. "If I can, I can kinda poke at things and you can tell me when I can shut up."

**What.**

_What?_ "N-No, Kei, it's not—" the protest was already dying on my lips as soon as I raised my head and made eye contact, and the heat was coming back. Everything was coming back. The warmth, the pain, the dryness. All of it. "You… you don't have to do that. I-I can talk. Or try. I have to. I—"

The first tear slid down my cheek and fell to the floor before I could finish my sentence.

"Tomoko." Kei's voice was still soft, this time tinged with shock as the hand around my shoulder wound around and my cheek was resting on her shoulder. "It's all right. You don't have to push yourself. It's okay."

 _No, no, nonono, it's_ not—

My arms were limp against my sides. Why couldn't I move, why couldn't I be better— "You're… you're not going to ask?"

"I could guess," Kei said instead, still hugging me even when I wasn't responding like I should've been. "But I wasn't going to. It's all up to you, Tomo. Your problems are  _yours_ , and if you don't want to say them, I wasn't gonna pry."

Still saying my nickname like that. I didn't deserve her. I didn't deserve her at all. A weak chuckle left my lips. "Y-You know me. I'm the worrywart. I can't help it. I've had a lot of people try to pry… back then."

Kei was already guiding me towards the staircase so that we could sit down at the steps, nodding quietly. "'S why I said I wasn't going to pry. But I can listen too, if you want."

The girl's question from before was still echoing in my head. "Dating"... was that really how things were always going to turn out? That same question, even when…

_"I'd go to hell and back, just for you. I love you, Vy."_

My mind couldn't forget Leo, so then why did my heart…

_Lub-dub, lub-dub, lub-dub, lub-dub._

"I'm sorry, Kei." The next tear slid down my face, and I reached up to wipe at my eyes before it could escalate into a waterfall. "I'm so sorry. F-For making it awkward. For feeling like this. That…" I gulped a breath as soon as Hisako raised a small sign saying,  **You can do it.** There was no turning back. "What happened earlier, I-I'm glad that you stood up for both of us, y'know? For doing that. I-I don't think I would've been able to."

Kei sighed before nodding, squeezing my shoulders all over again. "That lady was just fucking  _rude_. But I'm guessing that's not the only thing?"

I clutched my Wayfinder a bit harder. "Y-Yeah. Because, when she asked, 'are we dating…' for some reason, a small part of me hoped it was  _true_." My mouth was moving without me willing it anymore. "And I know it's not, I know you're not into that, but for some reason, my heart's been beating harder, I don't know what to do anymore, and there's the fact that I—" the tears were coming back with a vengeance. "I left Leo all alone. And I don't feel like, like I-I  _deserve_ feeling like this. Like I  _deserve_ you."

I said it. I freakin' said it.

"I-I, I just," my voice was cracking. "I don't know. I still  _love_ you, Kei, but I never fully saw you in  _that_  way. We've been together for so long, it just became natural to say. To express. And, the way she said it, like  _that_ , it just made me feel so…" the tears were starting to trickle down onto my necklace.  _Unsure, conflicted, worried. Detestable._ "I don't know. I'm just  _scared_ , of losing you. Because of this shit." The sob was already close to tearing itself out of my throat and emerging into the world. "Because past me lost people from it before."

_Because I pushed Ty away. Because I died and left Leo all alone to suffer._

Kei was silent the entire time I rambled, the only indication she was listening being the hand still wrapped around my shoulders. I wasn't expecting to be pulled close all over again like when we were kids, a cheek gently landing on top of my head. "You're not going to lose me. Ever. For the other stuff..." Kei paused, contemplating. "I don't know, Tomoko. I'm sorry I don't have a better answer for you. My brain doesn't work that way, and I've never fallen  _in_  love before, here and back then."

I didn't even know where the curiosity came from until it was already seeping into my voice. "R-Really?"

The hand on my shoulders moved upwards to gently rest on the side of my head. "Yeah. Crushes, sure, but not  _love_. So I can't fully sympathize with what you went through, as Vy." Kei made a small noise in the back of her throat, something between a huff and a hum, as she started brushing through my hair. "But I'm not going to tell you to stop caring. Or to stop being you. It's not about whether you 'deserve' something or not. Whatever happened back then, I get that it hurts, but you're not just  _Vy_  anymore. You're Tomoko, the pianist who played Kingdom Hearts music for a brat that needed a friend."

The beginnings of a laugh replaced the sob in my throat as soon as the memory was said and done with. "References?  _Now?_ "

"There's no better time  _but_ now, Tomo." I could even hear the smirk in her voice. "But hey. I get it. I… I can't love anyone like that yet, but you being there, the way you are, it makes me glad to have you." She paused before adding a quiet, "I can guess what I'd be like alone, which is why I'm so thankful."

The relief was sudden. It was warm and cold and  _sudden_ , and I felt like I was going to burst from how much my heart was expanding to fill my ribcage. "You… you really mean that? You don't mind?"

"We're not going to stop being friends just because  _someone_  couldn't keep their mouth shut, Tomo." As if to emphasize it, Kei bonked my head with her cheek. Ow. "We promised, after that first nightmare in the Academy Days, remember?"

Of course. Of freakin' course. "I-I wouldn't forget that… I was crying like an elephant that day." But the laughter was real, and Kei was grinning too, from what I could tell of our close proximity. "I'm sorry for ruining your clothes with so much snot and tears."

"Eh," Kei waved it off with her free hand. "It comes with being friends." She paused before slowly standing up from the stairs, stretching. "Welp." With one hand in her nearest pocket, it did not take long for her to pull out a handkerchief, turning around to promptly offer it in my direction. "For cleaning up?"

 **Dork,** Hisako said softly.

I took it, wiping at the waterfalls before they could grow anymore. The smile this time was wobbly, but still  _real_. "D-Dork."

"I'm a born dork, Tomo." She paused before kneeling down to my sitting height. The glint in her black eyes was something I couldn't put a finger to, but it was at least warm. Understanding. "But hey. Do you feel better now?"

Judging by how much my cheeks were starting to hurt? Yes. "Yeah, yeah."

The smile on her face dropped for a hesitant frown. "I'm sorry, Tomo. Again."

Shaking my head was natural. It wasn't her fault at all. It was just my anxiety. All over again. A soft, tired giggle left me instead. "It's fine. But, Kei?"

"Yeah?" she inclined her head, cowlicks batting her cheeks all the while. "What is it?"

I wiped at my face one last time before folding up the handkerchief to place onto the stairs. Then, out of some kind of childish instinct or what have you, I opened my arms in her direction. "C-Could I get a hug? Just a big,  _big_  hug." Those same black eyes widened, and the heat was coming back to my cheeks this time, but I continued on. Clarification was necessary. "Carrying is okay too. I… I just want to feel a hug. Encompassing, friendly,  _snuggly_. Like, like when we were kids."

It took one second. "Goof. You don't even have to ask." My best friend then smiled, rolled her eyes, and reached over.

Kei didn't even hesitate in lifting me up by the waist to squeeze in what could've been the tightest hug in existence. I could feel my ribs creak to the point of bumping with each other, but my sandals weren't touching the floor, the grip was firm, and my  _best friend_ was hugging me. I reached over to wrap my arms around her neck, resting my cheek atop her hitai-ite bandana.

Ink and mochi. The same scent.

This was how it started, and this was how I was hoping it was always going to be.

"Hey, Kei?"

She hummed softly. "Yeah?"

The last question left my lips naturally, with no crack in my voice. "It's okay to be happy with friends, right? Without romance?"

A single pause. Kei proceeded to put me back down onto the ground, but didn't let go of the hug, bumping the side of my head with her cheek. "Yeah," she said, voice still soft. "It is."

For the first time that afternoon, I could faintly hear the notes behind  _Kairi's Theme_ as a true, steadier smile covered my face. I couldn't help but hug back tighter.

It finally felt like something changed for the better.


	32. Cooking for Someone Important

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: The story companion to a comic I made for Lang's birthday this year. A sequel to Sparkle 14: Appreciate Kei Day.
> 
> The theme for this little story is HypochondriacPiano's piano arrangement of Dearly Beloved and Hikari from Kingdom Hearts, all rolled into one cover to listen to.
> 
> A Sea and Stars future event, maybe. :)

_Sparkle 32: Cooking for Someone Important_

"What's Tomoko-chan doing, Judai?"

The reply wasn't even said in the span of a heartbeat. It only took a few seconds for the retired Jounin to glance in his daughter's direction before shrugging with a fond smile. "Contemplating, Sakumo. Contemplating."

" _Contemplating_?" Wataru echoed suspiciously, nearly knocking over his cup of tea with his hands close to flailing in the air. "Contemplating what?"

Judai only pointed behind him. Wataru and Sakumo immediately turned around to look, and their eyes landed on the girl in question. Even with her long hair tied back into a low ponytail, the likeness to Hikari was uncanny as Tomoko peered over a yellow book, hunched enough to look troubled. She didn't even notice the stares trained into her back as she paced back and forth in the Hoshino family kitchen, thumbing through bookmarked pages all the while. The green apron on her person said enough.

"Ah, she's trying to cook." Sakumo said finally. "For Kei?"

Wataru let out a small laugh. "That reminds me. 'Appreciate Kei Day' is coming up soon, isn't it? Even when they're almost 20, she's  _still_  doing that."

"I don't see  _you_  complaining about it." Judai smiled proudly while looking up towards the sky. "Even when I'm an old man, I'm not going to forget this." Judai chuckled to himself, and it was hard to miss the pure love shining in his brown eyes. It was obvious that Tomoko was the apple of his eye from the silly look on his face. "Out of everything from the war, Tomoko-chan kept her heart. And that heart just helps keep all of us going now, doesn't it?"

Wataru and Sakumo shared a look before nodding sagely in unison.

Before anything else could be said, the sound of pacing grew louder as Tomoko-chan apparently started to wrack her head against the cookbook in her hands. " _Aaaaah,_  what's good? Mochi is too obvious, muffins is out of the question because then I'd be predictable, tiramisu might take too much time, I've already done a Black Forest Cake, what about dango…? Or maybe sea-salt ice cream?"

The adults all turned and watched in varying degrees of amusement as Tomoko proceeded to shake her head furiously, cheeks puffed in an obvious pout all the while. " _Muuuuuuu_ , no, no, no, dango might risk Haya-kun eating it all, not to mention Anko-chan, and we can't have that. Obito might get tempted too, so I have to make something to appease them both at one point… and sea-salt ice cream could melt mid-surprise delivery…  _Fwaaaaaaaaaah_!" Tomoko's long black ponytail weaved out in a very tangled fan behind her neck as she continued to pace, trying not to sigh. "What's something good, sweet, and easy to bake so that Kei-chan can enjoy it as a surprise~?! Heck,  _how_ am I going to  _surprise_  Kei~?! She reads my mind every single time I see her—!"

Judai's shoulders were already shaking from his barely-hidden chuckles as Wataru, whether out of sympathy or pity, spoke up with a loud and booming, "Tomoko-chan, try strawberry shortcake!"

As expected, Tomoko jumped with the shout. She definitely wasn't expecting an audience. "E-Eh?" was the high-pitched squeak, and then she slowly turned her head to meet the combined stares of all three men, cheeks already a dark pink with the gesture. "You…You heard that?"

Her voice cracked. Aww.

"We— _pffft_ —We heard all of that, sweetheart!" Judai put in finally around his laughter, waving a hand in Tomoko's direction. "Even at 19, you are  _still_ adorable!"

The pink on Tomoko's cheeks started spreading to the rest of her face. "Nooooooooo, Papa, that's not trueeeeeee…!"

Wataru covered his mouth with his hands. Sakumo turned away to hide a large grin of his own as Judai smiled proudly. "Hime, you're fine and you're beautiful."

"Papaaaaaa, stoooooop."

"Stunning."

The pink started turning into a cherry red as Tomoko looked like she was one centimeter away from undoing her entire ponytail to instead hide away in the cover of her long hair. "Pleaseeeeeeeee doooooon't."

"Dazzling!"

"Papaaaaaaaaaaaa, noooooooooo."

"Absolutely mesmerizing!"

That was the last straw. "P-PAPAAAAAAAAAAAA!" was the new high-pitched, undignified squeal.

It didn't take long for Sakumo to burst into laughter himself. Wataru was already long-down for the count from choking on his tea mid-laugh.

Judai didn't even care that he felt his back crack from his daughter's tackle-hug moments later. Or that the whole thing was from petty embarrassment revenge. He just took it with a laugh too.

* * *

Strawberries were set, frosting was all piped out into the shapes they needed to be, and the white-chocolate heart decoration, colored yellow from food coloring and a little bit of lemon extract in the name of friendship, was already placed on top of the cake. Right in the center, so that the receiver couldn't miss it.

It was perfect.

At least, I could only hope so.

Mama had given her approval with a happy smile and a warm hug my way, and don't get me started on the three men in the house. Papa couldn't stop giving compliments, and Sakumo-jichan was just like his son in giving silent approval. Wataru-jichan? He  _cheered_. Loudly too. He had made Nagareboshi Cafe his second home almost as much as the rest of the Gekkō family, and that meant Kei would come around  _sooner_ or later.

I was hoping for later. Like,  _seriously_  later.

If I was lucky, Miyako-bachan would be keeping her occupied for a majority of the time I needed to bake. But since the clock was already reading 1 in the afternoon, even if Miyako-bachan was, well,  _Miyako-bachan_ , that meant Kei would be visiting at  _any_ moment now, knowing her.

The cake was thankfully already sitting in its designated gift box in the fridge, so all that mattered was  _delivering it_.

Without meaning to, I found myself exhaling shakily.

Today was Kei's — well,  _Lang's_ birthday. I had to make it a good one.

She did so many things for me, even when she didn't have to. Even when the ninja-civilian divide made it harder for us to really spend time together as reincarnation buddies. I had to return the favor.  _Because_  we were best friends.

Because I loved her as family. Even now, I still do.

For good luck, I found myself grabbing my white hair ribbon instead of the usual, casual blue one. Even if it was autumn, white seemed to fit the occasion better. It definitely matched the pink blouse Mama recently found for me in one of her clothes shopping sessions.

_Kei's going to like this whole thing…right? Right?_

No answer. It was just me.

Hisako was always going to be in my heart, but sometimes, I still found myself wishing to hear her voice. One more time.

Kei at least had Isobu-san as company. I…

I didn't.

The library still felt empty.

Instinctively, I shook my head and brushed my long hair out of its ponytail, doing my best to ignore the slight twinge of pain from the occasional tangle. It wasn't the time to get back in memory lane. Especially the bad memory lane. Ty was bad enough that one time.

Hisako would probably scold me if she was still here.

Who knew that a Somebody could miss their Nobody so much? I could understand Sora's feelings on Roxas, at least now.

Another breath left my lips, a bit shakier than before, as my right hand instinctively reached up to clasp my Wayfinder necklace. Even if I was nervous, it wasn't the time to stand around and think. I had to move. The cake couldn't stay in the fridge forever.

I needed to find Kei. Appreciate Kei Day wouldn't be a day if I couldn't find  _her_  first, in my humble opinion.

But, where to start first—

"Tomo?"

I couldn't help it. I kinda shrieked bloody murder, because  _holy shit_ , I could hear Kei's voice and I could've sworn I was  _alone_  in my room a few seconds ago. Swiveling around quickly gave me my answer, because, sure enough, there was a ninja sitting on the window sill of my now  _open_ window. What happened to houses having screens to cover the windows and prevent intruders from coming in?

Kei only snickered at the aghast expression I was making. Apparently today's choice of clothing included a rumpled and oversized red hoodie jacket on her person, the rubber bands holding down the sleeves being the only things that made it  _fit_. Aside from that rather interesting choice, the light yellow-green tinted T-shirt underneath complemented the jacket, and with the usual choice of blue shinobi pants, it worked.

It was still Kei.

Even then, I found myself glowering at her. In my plans, she  _wasn't_ supposed to show up yet. I was supposed to find  _her_ first! Not the other way around! "H-How long have you been there?"

"I'm a  _ninja_ , Tomo," was the first statement out of her mouth, emphasized with a waggle of her pointer finger. Uh. "And for the past minute or so," Kei continued airily with an extra wave of her hand, not even minding my exasperated stare in her direction. "You leave yourself too open."

" _Muuuu_ ," I mumbled, already finding myself pouting. There was no need to rub it in. Even if it was Kei and I loved her dorkiness enough already. Like,  _really_? "I  _know_  that already. Now, is there a  _reason_  you're hunched on my window sill like a carrier owl?"

Kei shrugged, not even minding her bad posture all the while. I guess being a ninja meant getting used to awkward sitting positions like it was nothing? "Just because," she continued with the same airy tone, and now I couldn't help but feel suspicious once she leveled a calmer smile in my direction. "Last I checked, we had training scheduled with Mom, and yet you didn't exactly show up, so."

And  _now_  she was staring holes into my head, even when I was facing her proper. Aw, darn it. "Any ideas?" she said, her voice apparently caught between flat seriousness and some kind of teasing note I couldn't parse.

Um.

I found myself squeaking while trying to ignore the urge to throw my hands in the air. Nope, nope, I can't panic now,  _I can't panic now_. "W-Well, today's a holiday, and I needed to do something, so Miyako-bachan already knew!"

Now Kei was looking at me like I had grown a second head. "Holiday? What holiday?"

Ohmigod.

 _Oh my freaking god._ She didn't forget, right?  _Right_?

The confusion in her black eyes was a good enough answer.

Not really.

Even with the heat flooding my face, I found myself closing my eyes with a sigh before walking forward and meeting her stare head-on. I was  _really_ hoping she didn't forget, but then again, ninja  _could_  be clueless. And this specific ninja was guilty of it on occasions too. " _Oh_ , Kei, just come down from the window, let me hug you, and then I'll show you. Is that alright?"

And yes, a slight bit of irritation spilled into my voice.

I loved my reincarnation buddy very much, but there were only so many missions that could make her forget things. And she  _had_ to apparently forget today.

Arrrgh.

Kei inclined her head at me before nodding slowly, jumping down from the sill in time to catch me once I leapt at her.

Yes, yes. I tackled her. It felt like a long time since the last tackle-hug, and well, considering today was "Appreciate Kei Day," it was  _more_ than necessary. Kei didn't even seem to mind, thankfully, only grunting once and taking a step back before squeezing hard enough to nearly make me want to  _squeak_  and beg her to let go if not for the fact that I  _missed_  this.

Missions were far too long in my opinion, anyways. Time with my ninja friends was short and far too low on the contrary, and it led to some very lonely nights.

An amused chuckle sounded above my head. "What brought this on, Tomo?"

"I missed you," I said flatly and honestly, only pulling away as soon as Kei let go too. "And there's something you need to see."

Kei was frowning at me curiously now, a spark of interest in her black eyes. "Oh?"

With a more resolute smile, I reached over and gently grabbed her right hand to lead her out of the room. "C'mon, it's in the kitchen. Mama and Papa wouldn't mind you walking around here, anyways."

There was a small snicker. "Don't tell me…"

NO. No, no, NO. "I'm not giving spoilers, Kei!"

Even without looking behind me, I could tell she was rolling her eyes. "I wasn't even asking." Still, I could hear the smile in her voice and it was hard to hold back my own as soon as the kitchen started coming into view. All the men were out somewhere, and Mama had probably gone to see Miyako-bachan. It explained the quiet of the house, but with my best friend here, I found myself smiling wider.

"Tomo…?" Kei trailed off as soon as I let go of her hand to nearly skip over to the fridge, pulling the door open to take out the box. Blue ribbon and all on the lavender covers.

The cake had plenty of time to settle, so it was about time to present it to the wonderful person here.

I put on my best smile, tucked a bit of my hair behind my ear, and offered the box in her direction. "For you!"

Kei's eyes had gone as wide as saucers, just like they did five years ago when I first presented that photo album on that very first day. "Huh?" she said slowly before gingerly taking the box from my hands, staring at it for a long minute. Then she raised her head to stare at me, a light pink on her face. "Tomo…"

"Hey, I didn't make it for you to just  _stare_ , Kei." A giggle was already leaving my lips because goodness, no one could really claim that they had thrown the mighty  _Tidal Blade_ off guard. Well, aside from friends, and I'm glad that I got to see it. The cake couldn't stay hidden forever, though. "Open it!"

Kei only nodded stiffly, the same shock still shining in her black eyes as she reached over to open the covers.

The cake itself, even from my vantage of it, was perfect. Strawberries were standing tall, the frosting peaks were holding just fine, and the yellow-chocolate heart was obvious and hard to miss.

Once Kei was meeting my eyes again, I just took a part of my skirt to curtsy playfully. Past Me had nothing on this. "Happy Birthday, Lang."

Kei inhaled once, sharply too, as she glanced between me and the cake. Her eyebrows furrowed on what I could see of her forehead, wrinkling her scar in the process. "Tomo… no,  _Vy_ , you—"

"I said it before, Lang, today's a holiday. A holiday just for you." I couldn't even help the giggles leaving my throat now as I turned around to sway back and forth, hands behind my back because the happy juice was in full effect now. "And, well, for my best friend in this whole wide shinobi world, birthdays have to be celebrated with homemade sweets now, don't they?"

I only had the time to swivel my head back and give the beginnings of a smile before Kei was gently placing the cake on a nearby counter and sweeping me up into a sudden rib-creaking hug. A squeak didn't even get to leave my lips this time, because Kei was squeezing  _really_  hard again. Hell, there was only so much space for me to hug back, leaving me to instead hang onto the back of her loose hoodie for what could be dear life.

The breath had stalled in my throat, but the whisper left me anyway. "K-Kei?"

"You  _dork_ ," was the murmur in my ear, and another second was all it took for Kei to put me back down onto the ground, and, wait, were her eyes  _shining_? Or was she actually close to  _crying_? "You didn't have to."

"But I  _wanted_  to," I found myself insisting honestly with a shaky smile, because oh god, I didn't want to see her  _cry_ , this was supposed to be a  _happy_ thing! "And, well." The nerves were coming back, but at this point, I was lost in the ramble-thought that was my load of cheese. Too late to back out now. "You've done a lot for me, Kei. You've changed so much, and the world seems safer, even if it's just a little bit. So, for the kunoichi badass who inspired me and  _continues_ to save me, this civilian can only give back her heart in the form of chocolate, no?"

Kei was staring at me incredulously now, if only for a single second before snickering softly into her open palm. " _Pft_. You could've put a better number than  _26_ on the label, Tomo."

A pout was already forming on my face, but I tried to hold it back, instead crossing my arms. " _Hey_ , at this point, it was a nice number and I kinda didn't want to think about mental ages. And it was easier to write in chocolate."

Kei was still chuckling, but there was something soft in her stare now once she was returning my gaze. "Dork," she said again, but the warmth was real. I didn't even have time to say anything else before I was getting pulled into another hug. Thankfully, I could finally reciprocate without worrying about my ribs creaking. "Thank you, Vy."

I just reached up to gently pat the back of her shoulders, smiling. "No problem. Happy Birthday again, Lang."

The last words didn't need to be said, but I said them anyway. Because my reincarnation buddy needed to hear this, at least. "And thank  _you_ , y'know."

There was a confused breath above my hair as a hand landed on the back of my head to pull me closer. "For what?"

"For being born today, for saving Team Minato, for being you, and for staying."

Kei only laughed softly, but I could've sworn I heard a small quiver in her voice. "Who's the one doing the saving with words like  _that_?" The hand on my head started brushing through my hair. " _Your_ heart saved the world, Tomo. It still does, every day."

My heart skipped a beat. Outwardly, I closed my eyes and tightened the hug. The humble dork. My humble reincarnation buddy. "I try. Now, are we going to cut that cake for you or not?"

The only reply I got was another, happier laugh and a tighter hug. It was enough.


	33. The Start of [  ]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: This might as well be taking place in S&S's potential future, when Kei and everyone else are 18 and already Jounin. The theme for this fic is between two main songs: (1) Amanda Lee's new cover of Fairy Tail's Masayume Chasing, and (2) joshagarrado's piano cover of This Game from No Game No Life. Because I have yet to use either song in S&S proper, and well, it's about time.
> 
> Please enjoy.

_Sparkle 33: The Start of [ ]_

What is your favorite urban legend?

Slender Man? Your local haunted house?

Well, this one doesn't start with anything scary like that.

This legend starts with a single book.

The book was inconspicuously sitting on one of the displays when the first person picked it up at the local bookstore. A light blue paperback cover, the contents inside almost like any other book with the neat black font.

What made it different came from two reasons.

The first was that there was no author name listed. Anywhere.

Any book out in existence known to the public usually had a name on its cover. A name that led to a real face people could search for if they wanted, if they didn't get enough in the book itself and wanted more. Jiraiya was one such famous example, considering his Icha Icha series and his not-as-famous debut work that supposedly inspired the Fourth Hokage's naming sense.

When that first person picked up that blue book, however, there was nothing. Absolutely nothing. Only a title of  _Finding_   _Meaning_  written in white curved lettering and nothing else. Even inside the flap of the back cover, there was nothing. All there was for the reader to look at was a simple blank space.

The second reason was that the preface read as follows:

_"There is no author name because there is none to give._

_This world took away my voice._

_So instead, I write._

_If I spoke any of this aloud, or shared it with anyone else except a select few,_

_The world would have already declared me unfit to live and then kill me in quick fashion._

_This world has already deemed me a blank space,_

_A space to be filled in by others more ignorant than me._

_To such a world, I take away my name._

_I am only Blank."_

Needless to say, the first reader was quite confused. For such a bright looking book, it was an ominous preface. The author, if there was any, was only referred to with a [ ] onwards, essentially becoming their self-created moniker of "Blank" in the eyes of the public.

The contents past Blank's written preface? They resulted in only more questions.

Poems. The contents were of simple poems. Unlike other poetry books, that reflected old traditions and possibly rhythms from a koto, such as the  _Waka_ and Haiku styles of writing, this same strange book had no rhythm whatsoever.

Again, there was only a title adorning the top of each page, with a poem that had no flow to follow. It was almost as if each one was written when the person behind the pen was in a dark place, alone with no one else to talk to. But, the troubling thing was how each word had the effect of "stabbing someone in the heart when reading," or so the first reader claimed.

One poem in particular ran as follows:

_Shitty Game_

_What is the point of a world with more than 5 million people populating it aimlessly, never with a goal to improve and help one another?_

_What is the point of a world that advocates_ killing  _more than living?_

_Past the paperwork,_

_Past all the missions,_

_Past all the money,_

_Past all the alliances,_

_What worth is there?_

_What kind of happiness is it_

_When it comes from running the ground dry_

_With the blood of enemies?_

_If you speak out too much,_

_You get penalized._

_There is no chance to pass your turn._

_And whether you win or lose,_

_There is always a cost._

_This world, perhaps,_

_With its lack of rules_

_And its advent of Bloodshed,_

_Could only be called_

_A Shitty Game._

Needless to say, it stirred every population imaginable. Despite outspoken negative reviews, and even public displays of the book being  _burned_ by the occasional detractor,  _Finding Meaning_ soared in the sales lists, and ninja and civilian alike picked up the book, looked at it, and asked the same question.

_"Who is Blank?"_

* * *

"Hey, Kei, have you read that book yet?"

Gekkō Keisuke nicknamed "Kei," raised her head from the latest Icha Icha novel, blinking as Shiranui Genma waved at her from across the room in the Konoha Jounin lounge. "Read what?"

Genma stared at her incredulously for a single second. " _That_  book, Kei! Man, I'm surprised you haven't seen it. You read books almost as much as Kakashi." He then uncrossed his legs against the nearest table to sit up and start rummaging through his pockets. "Where did I put that thing…?" The single senbon in-between his teeth shuddered as he continued to search his pants until he found the thing he was looking for. "Here we go!"

With a large grin, he brandished the book in her direction.

The book was small, somewhat crumpled as a result of being a paperback stuffed into a Jounin's pants pocket, but the light blue cover and white lettering of  _Finding Meaning_  was hard to miss. "This book.  _Finding Meaning_. Everyone in the streets has been clamoring about it. Raidō's been reading it too, and it's definitely…" Genma paused before finishing with air quotations and a hesitant, " _Famous_."

"Famous?" Kei echoed, putting down Icha Icha to take the wrinkled book from his hands and glance it over. "Wait. There's no author." All she was seeing was light blue and white lettering from the title. Then again, anonymous works did exist.

 **Unusual,** commented Isobu. Then he went back to swishing his tails. It was obvious he didn't really care. Well. A book was still a book.

"That's the thing. People have been trying to find out  _who_  the author is but open up the book." Genma pointed at the bent front cover, motioning to her to open it. "The preface says everything."

"You don't have to breathe over me for it." Still, Kei opened it up as instructed, scanning over the words inside before lurching back. "' _I am only Blank'_? ' _This world took away my voice_ '? What the hell?"

Genma only shrugged when she gave him a questioning eye. "The publisher's apparently private too, so everyone's been breathing fire over who this Blank really is. Especially because of  _what_  they wrote." He took on a grimace as the senbon lolled between his teeth. "It's…not exactly a pleasant read."

Kei turned the pages, flipping past the Table of Contents before landing on the first poem.

" _Rules_." She was already stopping at the title. "What?"

"Every poem starts like that. A short title before they hit you with dark shit. It's not even musical to help with the weight." Genma spread his arms out onto the couch behind him while leaning back, looking up towards the ceiling. "It's definitely made me think a lot at least."

Kei was already zooming through the lines before feeling her blood turn cold.

_What is the point of rules when it forces one to lose themselves?_

_What is the point of law when it turns people into monsters?_

_What is the point of it all,_

_When I have to watch my friends die in the name of those laws?_

Isobu was already raising his head from his shell.  **This is—**

_This is calling out the ninja system._

Kei flipped through the pages.

_Bindings. Limits. Finding Light. Believing. To Be Silent._

The same short titles. The same purpose.

Lines kept speaking out to her.

_A world that does not value its own children's lives is nothing._

_A world that makes children fight in the name of "justice" is only fooling itself._

_A world that refuses to acknowledge its weaknesses and improve will eventually die._

Before she knew it, Kei had already made it to the back cover, and there was only a single paragraph.

_This is the only hint I will give to my identity._

_To the name that this world refused to acknowledge._

_For a single sword._

_The hidden turtle too, if you'd like._

_I challenge you to a small game._

_Find out the Blank._

_You know where it starts._

_Look to the Stars._

_\- [ ]_

**Hm.** Isobu waved his tails excitedly, a low growl rumbling in his throat.  **That is a direct challenge. To us.**

 _Of course it is_.  _Of course._  Kei took a deep breath before leaning back into her chair and looking up to the same ceiling. Of course it was blank white tile. There was the occasional inspirational quote for any ninja bothered to look up there, but the ceiling reflected the book's contents. Clean white pages, hiding flecks of black dirt, quietly asking someone to acknowledge the world. "Does that explain the smoke Kakashi's been complaining about?"

Genma only grunted, but it was still a reply. Judging by his chakra, he was definitely annoyed, if not frustrated at the situation. "Some civilians have recently made shows out of  _burning_ the book in bonfires because it hit too close to home. Even then, people are still reading it. It's going  _somewhere_ , Kei. I dunno what else to tell you." He finished it off with a helpless roll of his shoulders.

Kei only closed the book gently, smoothing out the wrinkles in the covers as best as she could. "Hey, Genma?"

"Yeah?"

She only waved the book in the air for the show. "Think I could borrow this for a bit?"

The action still did something as Genma sat up pin straight to look at her. With the same incredulous stare all over again, too. His senbon dangled low enough to where it could've easily dropped into his lap. "You have a clue to who it is?"

Kei stood up, stretched for a moment, then grinned wryly. "There's only one person I know who's this poetic."

* * *

Nagareboshi Cafe was still the same as always. With the warm scent of cake and tea, servers giving a respectful nod in her direction through the window, and the music coming from the doorway, it felt normal.

Kei reached out with her senses for a moment, searching for that rainbow before pulling the large red doors open.

Tomoko was at the piano again, playing a song Kei actually didn't recognize. Her hands were flying across the keys, not even minding the occasional long strand of black hair falling onto her fingers. Her eyes were closed, and with the way her sandaled feet moved across the pedals underneath the keys themselves, it was as if she was in her own world. The blue-ruffled sundress said that enough already.

 _She's not even_ working  _with that outfit, and she's playing anyways. Of course._

Kei held back a snicker before listening in. Through the music, she could at least make out the emotion of what could vaguely be coined as "justice" and a single sentence in the chakra rainbow.

_I don't want to be just another cog in a corrupted machine._

This time, Kei held back a wince.

The only other company Tomoko had in her direct vicinity was Miyako, and she turned an eye in Kei's direction before the corner of her mouth quirked upwards. With a nod back as a reply, Miyako only smiled wider, chakra reaching over to ping Kei's in soft acknowledgement before carefully getting up from her seat near the piano, dusting off her lavender yukata before walking over to the bar where Hikari was, leaving the chair vacant.

 **How predictable,** Isobu said softly, but his voice had already gotten quieter from taking in the music too.  **She is quite the spokesperson even without saying anything.**

_Who, Mom or Tomo, Isobu?_

**Both.**

Kei walked over to the empty seat and sat down as soon as Tomoko started the last chord. The keys themselves could've squeaked from how much force Tomoko was putting on them, as if she was hammering into the world that she was here and not someone to be ignored. The sound too, was triumphant and yet sad, as if saying farewell with the final key being played.

A single minute passed, and then Tomoko carefully removed her hands from the keyboard, exhaling while opening her eyes.

Kei cut to the chase. "Hey, Tomo."

As expected, the civilian jumped. Her mouth gaped for a single second before she turned her head, and wide blue eyes stared at her before she smiled. "O-Oh," she said simply, voice cracking. "Hi, Kei. You surprised me!" With a giggle, Tomoko kept smiling, almost oblivious if not for her chakra flickering again. "What is it?"

Kei inhaled slowly, resisting the urge to scratch at her scar. Instead, she reached over and pressed the nearest privacy seal on the grand piano before taking out the book hidden inside her flak jacket. It was still crumpled despite Kei's best efforts to fix it, but the title was unharmed. She made sure to offer it under the cover of a handkerchief, for the sake of appearances. "This," she started bluntly. "Something about a sword and turtle being asked to find a blank among the stars?"

Isobu rolled his eye.

Tomoko blinked at the book before taking it gingerly from Kei's hands, her right index finger barely pressing against the front cover hidden by the handkerchief. " _Finding Meaning_ …" she murmured softly, before looking up at Kei with a more mysterious smile. "Well," Tomoko said. "That was a quick Checkmate." In spite of her supposed "loss," her grin only grew larger as she then hugged the bundle to her chest.

"Before any  _Star_  was born, the universe started from a  _Blank_ , didn't it?"

 _Of course._ Kei only snorted. "If it was anyone other than me—"

"Then the Big Bang wouldn't have happened." Tomoko was still smiling as she then reached over with her left hand to pull Kei into a tight hug, squishing the book in-between them while doing so. A cheek bumped hers as the civilian girl kept smiling. The chakra rainbow poked the endless sea as Kei rolled her eyes and hugged back. "But Life has already started its course to the Future. So thank you, Kei-chan."

"For what?"

"For being the First Winner to my Game."

This is the start of the newest legend. The newest myth, known to ninja and civilian both as only [ ].


	34. Hikari and Haru

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A gift to one WingBladeWeaver1357 in return for some of the beautiful fanart she made. You made my day. I hope I make yours. :)
> 
> Originally posted on Tumblr, now here for you to read. I do not own anything but Tomoko and Hisako. Leonhart Hikari and Fujino Haruka belong to Wing-chan.
> 
> The song for one Haru? Kyle Landry's piano cover of Dango Daikazoku.
> 
> The song Tomoko plays for one Hikari? The piano cover of Hikaru Nara from Animenz Piano sheets. It fits!

_Sparkle 34: Hikari and Haru_

The little brunette girl was the first unexpected guest in my day. She could've easily blended in with the other customers at Nagareboshi Cafe, but the small tug on the ribbon tying the back of my dress was enough of a sign that things were different.

Thankfully, the song that was at my fingertips was already coming to a close once the tug happened, so I let the notes fade into the air before carefully turning around in my seat of the piano bench to look in that direction. "Yes?"

I was not expecting to see sparkles.

"Hi, nee-chan!" Bright teal-green eyes were beaming up at me, and I blinked. "You play really beautiful music!"

 _Ohmigosh, she's cute, when did she get there?_ From her light blue hoodie and matching white-blue collared shirt, she certainly looked like a child any parent would grow to love. The side ponytail held up by one bright green scrunchie simply added to the charm. And the smile…

 _Awwww._  I could've sworn I could see a reflection of myself in those big green eyes.

 **She is** _ **absolutely**_   **adorable.** Hisako agreed with a solemn nod.  **Wanting to be a ninja maybe? She did sneak up on us.**

I blinked.  _You didn't notice her either?_

My Nobody shrugged, the handle of Oblivion barely hanging onto her fingers.  **Your music is nice to listen to, Tomoko-chan.**

Huh. Compliments were going all around today. I took a breath to calm the sudden onslaught of heat about to flood my face, putting on a kind smile. "Oh, really? Thank you, dear. Just when did you sneak up on me?"

"In the middle of your performance!' The girl grinned at me, exposing what looked like bright white baby teeth, and I could already guess my newest companion was somewhere between 4-5 years old. "And I knew it!"

"Eh?" I inclined my head at the girl putting her hands together. She rubbed them for a few seconds.

I was also not expecting the small puff of smoke. Blinking, I rubbed at my eyes as the new  _pink_ rose made its appearance in the sweetie's hands, and she offered the flower to me. "With that melody and that voice, you must be an angel sent from Heaven, nee-chan!"

Oh. Oh my. Oh my gosh.

 **She called you an angel. An** _ **angel.**_ **Wow. She one-upped Kakashi** _ **and**_   **took the words out of my mouth!**

 _OHMIGOD, HISAKO._ And, wait a minute.  _What do you mean by "one-up Kakashi"?_

My Nobody simply threw her head back, long brown hair swishing and all, to cackle loudly.

Gosh darn it. The blush was hard to even fight back at this point because of how much my heart was pounding. From the bright grin being flashed towards me, I couldn't deny that this little girl meant every single word. And I was supposed to be the one on the cafe job. Compliments were still something to get used to. "Th-Thank you?" I stammered, putting a hand to my chest as I could feel my voice crack just as much as my ribs from the happy juice. "I'm just a mere pianist though, dear." A giggle left my lips as I reached over to lightly boop the top of her head. "As happy as I am to be called an angel, I'm just as human as you."

"Ehhh?" The little girl pouted and scooted back a bit so I wouldn't poke her again, puffing her cheeks while still offering the rose. "It's true, though! Every time I hear you play, I get lost in your beautiful music, nee-chan~!" And with that hum in the air, the grin from before was back, and the rose was still sitting in her hands. "This is for you as thanks for the songs!"

"Oh dear…" the grin on my own face was unmistakable as I reached over to gently take the flower, gripping it as delicately as I could. I had no idea where it came from, but roses were just like any other flower — beautiful and deserving of quiet respect. "Thank you, ojou-san." I sniffed the rose softly, taking in the scent of the sweet pollen before looking at her with a warmer smile. This was turning out to be quite the pleasant surprise. "Do you want me to play another song for you?"

"Eh? Really!?" Her mouth formed a surprised "o" for the briefest moment, her hands going back to rub the back of her head. "Is it okay, nee-chan?"

"Please, dear," I took a page from Mama's book, putting the rose down in a safe crevice near the piano stand to face her. My newest customer. She was certainly young, but for some reason, those green eyes reminded me of someone. "Call me Tomoko."

"Tomoko-nee-chan?" she ducked her head and spoke the syllables slowly, and I held back the urge to squeal, feeling my smile grow to the point of stretching my cheeks. She was cute. So cute.

Was this how Kushina-nee felt when she first met me?

**Maybe?**

It was a nice thought.

"Hoshino Tomoko, ojou-san," I said gently with a small waggle of my finger. "And you're my customer now, and I'm your pianist for the day. So," the girl's teal-green eyes sparkled as soon as she raised her head to make eye contact. "Could I get your name?"

"Fujino Haruka!" The newly dubbed Haruka-chan beamed, swaying back and forth on her chair all the while. "Haru is fine too!"

"Haru-chan it is then," I decided with a giggle back, not even minding the sparkles flying off her anymore. It was warm. "Then, for the sweet Haru-chan, Tomoko-nee-chan has a job to do, just for you." I pressed the first key on the piano and closed my eyes, recalling the childish drawings of pink and blue dumplings coming together to raise one tiny yellow dumpling.

"As pianist of Nagareboshi Cafe, I welcome you to the Big Dango Family."

I already decided with the first chords that I'd do what I can to make sure this little girl kept that smile on her face for the day.

There was no way I could allow the Third Shinobi World War to take another smile from my job. I couldn't let it steal the innocence from another little girl who deserved better.

* * *

Kakashi was surprisingly sulky as soon as Haru-chan left with that bright grin on her face. Even if his mask was hiding the bottom half of his face as always, the slight furrow of his eyebrows and narrowing of his eyes said otherwise.

I made sure to wipe some dust off the piano keys before facing him with a wry smile. "What is it, Kakashi?"

My best friend didn't respond, simply getting up from his chair to instead plop himself down onto the piano bench next to me. I did my best to not move as soon as he leaned over to rest his head against my right shoulder. "Nothing," he grumbled quietly. His silver spikes, if I leaned in just enough back, were close enough to tickle. "Just let me rest like this for a bit."

Huh. He  _was_  sulking.

I decided not to question it and reached over with my left hand to gently pat his head. "Want a song?"

"…That'd be nice."

I gently nudged him with my shoulder, holding back the urge to giggle. "Love you too, Kakashi."

"Hn." A pause. "Love you too."

"Hee hee."

* * *

"What should I get around here…? Munny doesn't really work as currency."

 **Another unexpected guest around these parts.** My Nobody casually shouldered the Oblivion Keyblade again, not even minding the books flying around her head.  **I get ninja, but it's not every day we get new faces** _ **outside**_   **of the village.**

_Yep. Though, is she okay?_

**Don't ask me. Ask her.**

I couldn't help but find myself fixated on the newest oddball sitting near the piano. Unlike my first unexpected guest, she was definitely not a child. Teenager, maybe even my age or older. She wasn't even sitting in a chair near my piano bench, simply seated at one of the many tables surrounding the stage, her blue eyes frantically scanning the menu in front of her. Her short brown hair seemed to frame her face in a way that reminded me of Sora from  _Kingdom Hearts_ , and if the plaid blue-white pattern on her waist sash was any indication, Tetsuya Nomura must've had a hand in her clothing design. There was no other reason I could attribute the belts and zippers to.

Still, her eyes. Even if they were blue like Mama's, they shined behind that menu like Haru-chan's. Similar sparkles, even.

Maybe…

I gently got up from my piano bench to walk down from the stage and approach her, my voice already coming out in the waitress tone I'd been used to for years. "Excuse me, miss?"

She startled, putting her menu down just slightly to meet my eyes. Her blue eyes were wide with surprise. "Whoa! Uh, hi?" She scratched her cheek with her apparently fingerless gloved hand, looking sheepish. "Sorry for taking too long, I just don't know what to get."

I smiled and shook my head, tucking a stray strand of hair behind my ear. "There's no trouble. I was just thinking of offering something instead."

"Offer?" She gave me a questioning stare, her mouth caught between a frown and a pout. "What kind of offer?"

"It's not too much, you're just new around here, right?" She nodded, and the smile grew on my face. "Well, I'm Hoshino Tomoko, your pianist for the day in Nagareboshi Cafe. And it is my policy to play a song for any new faces. So, how do you feel about sitting next to me on the stage to listen?" Those blue eyes widened again once I gestured to the grand instrument sitting behind me. "Maybe the song could give you an idea of what you'd like to eat."

What looked like a conflicted smile passed over her face. "Tomoko-san, I wouldn't want to trouble you—"

"Nonsense," I said immediately, finding myself fondly rolling my eyes. With the way her shoulders were tensing and the simple stunned, fish-like look on her face, she definitely reminded me of Sora. And, for a childhood hero… "You're a customer. I'm the pianist. And," I winked at her, "the pianist has to serve the customer first, no?"

The wide look in her eyes was back before she threw her head back to laugh. "Okay then! I don't know what else to do, so sure!" She swayed forward to grin at me, offering her hand. "I'm Leonhart Hikari."

**Wait, isn't that—**

I held back a giggle.

Hikari-san sat there, blinking. "Tomoko-san?"

"I-I'm sorry, I'm not laughing at you," I took her hand and shook it, feeling myself smile back. "It's just, you share the same name as my Mom. Just as pretty and sincere."

"Oh," she said, blinking. Once the handshake finished, she took her hand back to rub the back of her neck. "Does that make it awkward or—"

"No no no," I reached over to gently grab her free hand. "It's just funny. Now I know just what to play for you."

"What's that?" Hikari, thankfully, didn't seem to mind my guiding her to the piano, so once I was back on my familiar piano bench with Hikari taking a seat next to me, I could feel the smile on my face start to stretch my cheeks.

That pink rose from Haru-chan was still sitting on the piano, just in a small vase thanks to Papa. It was enough inspiration.

"You're Hikari, another bit of light, sooooo…" I uncovered the piano keys to take a breath, "why not play a song such as  _Hikaru Nara_  to honor that light?"

I never got to play the song before. It was well about time to honor that pianist-violinist duo who made smiles out of a shared lie.


	35. Friendship over Chivalry

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: Because I finally watched the infamous Episode 16 of Fate/Zero, well, let's just all agree Diarmuid deserves better. Rewatching some of his final moments is so hard and I had to remedy that. So, I'm writing again. Originally posted on Tumblr first, and now for Small Sparkles. Inspired by one raspberryusagi's art once more, plus a story she wrote way back when. This is for you, Usagi-san. I hope you'll like this. :) A sequel to my previous Diarmuid writings.
> 
> The theme for this small thing is actually the song featured in the first Fate AMV I watched, being The Beginning from Against The Current. The AMV in question featured scenes from almost everything in the various Fate continuities, and considering how the lyrics seem to speak to all the Servants I've seen… it fit.
> 
> Go ahead and enjoy. Warnings for Servant angst and calls for much-needed therapy talks. Seriously, where are the therapists for these people…?

_Sparkle 35: Friendship over Chivalry_

"Tomoko?"

A soft call of my name was the start of the day. In any other situation, I would've responded with a normal greeting befitting of my occupation of cafe pianist, more so since I was still  _at work_. Something like, "Yes, what can I do to help you?" would've been fitting.

But this time?

My nerves all tensed and my heart jumped.

There was something about this call that made things different.

The name was already on my tongue when I turned around and made eye contact with yellow eyes. The mole underneath the right eye confirmed everything else. I couldn't help but beam. The lances strapped to his back weren't an issue in the slightest. Heck, even if I was at work, there was no way I  _couldn't_  be happy at seeing a friend. "Dia!"

"My lady," he said softly, the smile honest and wide on his face as he bowed his head, one arm tucked towards his chest. "Apologies for the intrusion and the use of such of a title, but I had to come to see you. May I partake in a bit of your time?"

I blinked before holding back a fond sigh. This was definitely Diarmuid Ua Duibhne, first spear of the Knights of Fionna and Lancer Servant I came to call as a friend in dreams. He was  _still_ being that regal Knight, even when it had been so long since we solidified friendship to begin with. Considering the fact that he wasn't wearing his armor and instead partaking in a  _suit_ a la a certain Saber I grew to love… Heh. Instead of sighing, I reached over and lightly poked the top of Diarmuid's head. "Boop. Dia, you silly Knight, you should know my answer."

He jolted, the two spears on his back clinking against one another with the motion. Then he raised his head, yellow eyes shining with uncertainty as he opened his mouth. "Should I take that as a 'yes'?" he tried quietly.

"It's definitely a 'yes', you silly Lancer." I couldn't help but giggle because the face he was wearing was so fish-like. He needed more nice things. "Why wouldn't it be?"

Something shined in Diarmuid's yellow eyes as he opened his mouth again. "Perhaps if…" he shook his head. "No, it is nothing." He put on another smile, and I decided not to mention how fake it looked in spite of the relief in his eyes, instead noting it in my head for later. "Thank you, Tomoko."

I inclined my head and smiled back. Usako-san wasn't with him, so considering he was alone… There was no denying all of the worry bells going off in my head. "I can get my break from Mama and Papa, so then we can talk at the piano? Or do you want to talk outside?"

Diarmuid bowed his head again, the smile on his face turning a bit more genuine with the gesture. "The piano is sufficient, Tomoko. As long as there is privacy—"

I couldn't help the high-pitched glee filling my voice as my mouth moved for me. "Got it!" The privacy seal was already on my fingertips once I reached into my kimono sleeve for the thing. So, once it was in my hands to brandish like a trophy to my Lancer of a friend, Diarmuid blinked. "No need to worry!"

"Ah…" Diarmuid stared at me for another second or so before covering his mouth with one of his gauntlet-covered hands, his eyebrows furrowing on his head. His shoulders were shaking just like Saber's when she laughed. Awww. "Pft, my word, milady," he snickered quietly, "you have not changed in the time of my absence, have you?"

I could feel my smile turn a bit more solemn. "I try not to," I confessed, my voice quieting with the emotion. "I hope it convinces you to keep coming back like this."

The thought was kept to the back of my mind instead of being voiced aloud.

_I get lonely too, y'know._

I couldn't stop my ninja friends from taking missions. I never could.

Even then, there was no way I could voice that, especially to  _Dia._

Still, those yellow eyes of Diarmuid's focused on me again with a wide look before softening. "Of course, Tomoko. Serving you — no," Diarmuid shook his head, his eyes a bit more sad looking before he tucked a hand towards his chest, "being your friend has been a surprisingly pleasant experience. Please do not assume I feel discontent towards you. This brutish warrior has…" I was not expecting him to blush. "I admit it is informal, but the platonic affection in this shrewd heart of mine is real when I think of you."

The waning smile on my face was already growing back to be a beam I couldn't hide thanks to those words from the Lancer. Diarmuid. No, Dia. Still a Knight even in a new life with a new lord. Or perhaps "savior" would be the better term. Usako-san, even from the few times Diarmuid mentioned her, did so many things that made him happier. To see him actually admit to something "informal" like that — all I could say to describe the feeling was that it was definitely a warmth I liked.

"Thankie, Dia," I allowed myself to say, trying not to grin like a goof. "Now, come on. There's a chair near the piano for you."

Diarmuid smiled back at me, and in that moment, the sunlight probably could've become twice as bright.

* * *

I probably shouldn't have been so surprised considering Diarmuid did want to be alone and without the supervision of  _Saber_ , but still.

"You knew Arturia-san?" The question came off feeling foreign and  _wrong_  in my mouth, and once Diarmuid flinched, I tried to backtrack. "I mean, if you don't want to say anymore, I understand, Dia! I won't pry if you don't want me to! So… I'm sorry for interrupting. You can get back to your story."

Yeeeep. Those gold eyes staring at me didn't help much, so the last bit came out far too high-pitched for my liking. Sure, I could give myself a little slack because of how I wasn't expecting  _that_ , but still. Even if Arturia-san shared personal things at her own discretion, which was rare, that did not warrant a surprised reaction towards Diarmuid sharing something himself.

I forced myself to take a breath to calm myself. "S-Sorry, Dia. Really."

"Milady — no, Tomoko — there is nothing to apologize  _for,_ " Diarmuid said immediately, and the apparent callused hand covering the top of both of my own made it obvious he was trying to comfort me in some way. "I should have explained more properly had I known you would be so shocked. So," he squeezed my hands, "may I?"

I met his eyes and nodded. "Whatever you need me to do, I'll do. I'll try to stay calm."

He smiled softly. "Thank you, Tomoko." There was no missing the gratitude in his voice. It was then his turn to take a breath, and then Dia bowed his head, never retracting his grip on my hands. "I… I would like your advice on how to apologize to her."

"Eh?" I blinked. The first question of " _What did you do wrong"_ immediately graced my head, but I pushed it back so that it wouldn't fall onto my tongue. There was no way I could ask that. His grip on my hands was desperate enough as is. Instead, I took another breath and said quietly, "Could I ask why you feel that way, Diarmuid?"

Dia raised his head just slightly to show the tops of his eyelids, but he still didn't meet my eyes. "…Alright, Tomoko," he allowed, before taking a breath. "In the past, when I had a different Lord than Lady Usako, I met Saber — Arturia Pendragon — in combat over the Holy Grail." The shrewd and fond smile on his face was such a tiny gesture, but spoke volumes of something I knew he was just barely covering the iceberg on. "She was a brilliant warrior, even back then, and I had always hoped to have one last battle with her before the end. With both of our honors as Knights on the line, to the death."

I nodded, trying to give what was an understanding hum for him to continue. Even if a part of me wasn't sure of what I was doing, even when another part of me was  _scared_ at just hearing the "to the death" part, I turned my right hand over so I could grip his left hand.

Through the handhold, I could feel Diarmuid jolt just slightly before relaxing, and his thumb immediately rubbed the side of my pointer finger. "Thank you for the comfort, Milady," he said quietly before loosening his grip, "but I do not believe I deserve such a thing. I… I cursed Saber in my last moments before meeting you."

_Oh god._

Cold dread washed over me first, but I held it down with everything I had, keeping my voice plaintive and soft while never letting go of his limp fingers. "Why did you think you did that, Dia?" There was no way I could reject him. Even if I didn't know Dia as long as I did Art-san, he was still a Servant I could call a  _friend._ Family even, if I could go that far with the number of times we met in dreams. So for him to pull away like this, no. "There's a difference between 'deserve' and 'want,' Dia. And I want to comfort you and hear you out."

Diarmuid raised his head to look at me, and the molten gold of his eyes had me stop for a moment. In that instant, it felt like the mole under his right eye was glowing, and I rubbed my eyes with my left hand. The rubbing helped since the glowing stopped once I pulled my hand back, but was it just me…? "Thank you, Milady," he said again, but he shook his head. "But I am not sure. I said many horrible things I wish I could take back. So many vile words a Knight of my caliber should not have uttered. And fate was cruel to both of us then. I served a Master that did not deserve my spears. I bewitched my Master's beloved with this curse of mine without meaning to."

It was hard to miss how he absently touched the mole under his eye with the statement.

Yet another sign a friend of mine needed therapy and more help than I could possibly give. But I still stayed quiet to hear the rest.

"And yet," he paused, as if fighting a lump in his throat. "I… In the last moments of my previous life, of the War I fought before I met you and Lady Usako, when facing Saber that last time in combat, the only one I could honorably face as myself and not a Servant bound by Command Seals, I…" his smile dropped completely as he turned away, not meeting my eyes. "I cursed her. Bleeding at the mouth, dying. My previous Lord had commanded me to die, and it was all because of  _her_ Lord. So, I hoped she would meet a cruel end. I hoped, at the time, that her dreams would bear no fruit because of the actions her previous Master did that led to  _my_  end. The things he did, that  _fiend_ —" Dia turned his head away, and I tried not to flinch. Saber's previous Master was a man? But I thought Saber fought in the Fourth and Fifth Holy Grail Wars… "I do not know if she had any part in what her Master planned. But it…"

I gripped his hand as gently as I could. "It hurt?"

There was a pause. "Yes," Dia said finally. His voice cracked slightly too. "It did. Thinking of her, the King of Knights, assisting in such cruelty." Then, for some reason, a bit of wonder crept into his voice. Or was it contemplative quiet? I didn't know, but waited anyways. "But when I look back, when I remember that time, the look on Saber's face,  _Arturia's face_  — it all spoke of shock. As if she did not know and did not wish such a thing to happen to begin with. And I  _cursed_ her without knowing any better _._  And when seeing her again here, happy with  _you_ , Tomoko, I…" he gently pushed my hand away. "I do not believe I have the right to try to apologize after that. To try finding out the truth. Even if I share a friendship with you." Diarmuid hung his head, frowning bitterly. "I do not know why I even came to you about this, speaking of troubles that rest far beyond your lifetime. A brute such as myself should not have the right to be so selfish and imposing on you, Milady."

Something in me snapped.

Maybe it was the name. Maybe it was Dia not making eye contact. But still. Something snapped.

 _Okay, just_ stop.  _Stop there, Dia. Stop right there._

I shook my head. "Dia." I wanted to reach out to grip his hand again, but he had already clenched both of his hands into fists atop his knees, so I held back. "That last part might be  _because_  we're friends, isn't it?"

Diarmuid's head was still bowed, but I could see him startle. "Pardon?"

Another snap in my blood.

This had gone on for too long.

I reached over to poke his forehead. "First, a boop for you, because this much self-deprecating talk means I owe you a concert now to get that out of your head." The words were enough to get Diarmuid's attention to finally look up, but before he could open his mouth in what I could assume was a protest, I cut him off with a miffed, "And secondly, it's not about whether you 'have' the right or not, Dia. It's whether you're gonna give  _yourself_  that chance to apologize and make amends. Because to me," I booped him again, harder on his head. He didn't get pushed back as much as I would've liked, but the shock in his gold eyes were enough of a sign to show that he was listening. "You've already earned it back."

"…Come again?" Diarmuid gaped.

I held back a sigh, booping him again, a bit softer this time with my pointer finger so he wouldn't recoil from the force. "Dia, the simple fact that you  _came_ to me in spite of all your pain about it means you want to move forward, at least to me. You don't want to have any more regrets, so by confiding in a friend, you hoped to find a solution." I smiled and reached over to grab his left hand in my right once those gold eyes focused on me. "Or if I'm wrong, feel free to correct me."

It took another long while, but Diarmuid gripped my hand back. "Go on, Tomoko," he said dutifully. "It feels right."

"What am I, a queen? No." I laughed it off. "Dia." Out of some kind of feeling, I leaned in to bump foreheads. "You're doing fine. The fact that you asked me, I'm honored, okay? Don't feel horrible for expressing anger or hurt when it's natural to do so from us being  _human._ Sure, you're a Servant," I gestured to the two lances still sitting strapped to his back, much to the visible chagrin of some servers passing by, "but you still have your memories. You still have your  _heart_ of a human. And it's okay to feel the way you do."

"Milady…"

I bumped his head with mine, cupping his cheek with my left hand. " _Tomoko,_  Dia. I'm Tomoko, remember? And I'm not your lady. Your lady now is Usagi-chan, right?"

A hand was gripping the one I was using to hold Lancer's face. "…Yes," he admitted. "You are correct, Tomoko. But… but I—"

"There are no 'buts' here, Dia." I bumped his head again while closing my eyes, absently starting to wonder when the numbing feeling would come in to replace the slight bits of pain running through my nervous system. "It's not about what you did in the past that decides things. It's how you are in this very moment. So, how do you feel now?"

Diarmuid paused, his breath gently brushing my nose from the close contact we were sharing. "Unsure," he said quietly. "But I want to be a better Knight. I want to reconcile."

"With Arturia-san?" I tried.

"…With Saber," Dia agreed. I did not miss how he squeezed both my hands.

"And that's the first step, Dia," I opened my eyes to stare into his gold eyes, smiling. "You know what you have to do. You got the chance a lot of others probably wish they could've had."  _Like me with_ _Ty_ _, maybe._ Instead of voicing that, I kept smiling. "What matters now is when and where you want to go. What you want to do to accomplish what you want." I pulled back, never letting go of his hands, instead shrugging my shoulders towards the cafe entrance. "Saber gets her break in a few minutes, so if you want, Dia, I can call her over?"

"Eh?" Diarmuid looked positively baffled now, his gaze shifting between me and the cafe around us. "But, Tomoko, I believe Saber is still working until sundown—"

I let go of his cheek to point towards my own head with a grin. "You underestimate me, Dia. And besides." I patted his hand. "I said it before. 'Whatever you need me to do, I'll do.' It's what friends  _do._ So, Dia," I toned down the grin to what was hopefully a warm smile as Diarmuid met my eyes again, "do you want me to call Arturia-san over?"

Yet again, those gold eyes flickered. Diarmuid glanced between his lap, me, and the piano in quick succession before going back to focus on me. Slowly but surely, a smile grew on his face too. A more  _Dia_ -like smile. "Then, if it is alright, Tomoko, please." He hung his head. "Nothing would be more helpful than that."

Keeping the happy juice to myself, I reached over to wrap my arms around his neck in a hug before thinking the words.  _Art-san?_

_Yes, Milady?_

_Hee hee. You're attentive. Enough about that though. There's someone here that would like to talk to you._ I let go of Dia with a single pat to his shoulder with my free hand before getting up from my piano bench.  _They're at the piano, so come back in to take your break, okay?_

A pause.  _Should I be worried, Tomoko? You sound more excited than usual…_

 _No._ The smile on my face was definitely real. I couldn't help but hum.  _Not at all. I'll take your shift out the door while you talk. I'm fine, Art-san._

_If you are sure…_

Once I walked off the stage, I could see my Knight walk back through the red cafe doors, much to the visible surprise of my Lancer friend. Once those emerald green eyes focused on me, I winked at her.  _Don't worry, Saber. Leave the worrying to me._

For once, I could walk out and be the host I always wanted to be.

It wasn't my place to listen in.

* * *

"Lancer? You… You were here?"

Diarmuid took a breath. "Hello, Arturia. It has been a while."  _I have another chance to repent._ "I… I meant to apologize."

The former King of Knights took a seat next to him before smiling sadly. "I meant to say the same too. Our last bout, it did not end the way I wanted it to. You…" Arturia hung her head. "You deserved better. Kiritsugu was a fiend, and if I had known what he was planning, I would have stopped him. With all my might, all my power, if it meant making a difference." The words were inadequate, but she bowed her head and said them. "I'm sorry."

"Saber, I…" Diarmuid shook his head. "I'm sorry too. For all I said. For cursing you. May I… May I explain myself? If it is not a bother?"

Arturia shook her head too, catching a glimpse of a familiar paper square on the piano nearby. "It could never be a bother." She paused. "I missed you."

A hand cupped her chin to guide her gaze upwards, and Saber looked up to see Diarmuid's gold eyes. "I missed you too."

Neither Servant could miss Tomoko smiling to herself outside the Cafe doors, but they decided not to comment on it, sharing a smile between themselves.

* * *

"Hi, Usagi-chan!"

"Hello, Tomoko-san. I'm here for Diarmuid…? Got another mission to fight on."

There was a pointing of a finger. "Inside of the cafe, near the piano, having a heart-to-heart, I think you'll have to wait a while…?"

"Oh." The saying was accentuated by the wag of a wolf tail and the twitch of wolf ears. "Is it working out?"

"I think so!"

"Hee hee."

"So… want a cup of tea?"

"That'd be nice!"

The two girls shared a giggle. It was all good.


	36. Behind Closed Doors

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A look into one of many affectionate moments that happen in CP when no one is looking. Spoiler for events post-chapter 49 in Civilian Pianist, and I also recommend looking away if you're averse to detailed descriptions of kissing and romance.
> 
> …I blame the recent emotional stress that came from helping a friend through relationship troubles, a looooong HIV/AIDS documentary I had to watch for a class, and the current lack of seeing my real boyfriend for my writing this.
> 
> Mentioning WingBladeWeaver1357 here because Wing-chan, it's thanks to you that I finished this small drabble thingie. You encouraged me and I'm grateful. It was good stress relief. Originally posted on Tumblr, now it's here in Small Sparkles
> 
> Please enjoy.

_Sparkle 36: Behind Closed Doors_

It's only recently that Kakashi's made a habit of taking up my break times at work. It wasn't really that much in terms of time "wasted," considering we were still living together and he could do that, but it definitely garnered some strange looks. Papa's most certainly.

Maybe that was why my room was starting to become a spot for him to whisk me away.

" _Nn_ …"

The feeling of Kakashi kissing me is still something I'm getting used to. He always does it gently, like I'm a doll he just can't break. But when he gets desperate, when he gets passionate, his fangs lightly graze my lips. But as time went on, I found myself not minding. It merely reminded me he's still here. That he wasn't dead.

There was a soft  _pop_ as Kakashi pulled away just slightly, and even without opening my eyes, I knew he had a soft smile on his lips. And that his mouth was wet. "Do you need to go back to work yet?"

I shyly glanced up at him, resisting the urge to bite the inside of my cheek. Some of his hair was sticking to his hitai-ite, and I couldn't reach up to brush it away with how he was plain distracting me. And that he was squishing my arms in our current hug. "N-Not yet. Breaks can be up to an hour, according to Mama."

Kakashi smiled as his right hand pressed against the small of my waist, his other hand pinning me to the wall. "I'll have to thank Aunt Hikari for that later then," was the following whisper. His mouth was only a centimeter away from mine. "It gives me more time to be with you."

Then he was kissing me again, and I instinctively closed my eyes. " _Mm_ … you're a dork. You're gonna be…  _nn_ , late." His tongue gently darted into my mouth and I tried not to squeak, the words barely coherent in my throat. "You're just avoiding the subject!"

Kakashi, whether in retaliation or teasing, pulled away for a mere moment before swooping back in to kiss me again. "No, I'm not," was the brief response, and he pecked my lips softly. "I'm just taking my time. Obito and Rin can wait a bit longer. Besides, the missions are getting heavier, so I don't have as much time to be with you."

"Y-You're still going to see me at home…" I weakly pushed at his shoulders, my breathing shaky from my heart beating so hard. "I'm not going anywhere."

"That's a relief, but that's not the point." Kakashi kissed me again, a bit harder to the point of it not being a peck anymore. My stomach was flipping over now. "I just want to spend this with you." His fang gently grazed my bottom lip, prompting a soft squeal I didn't know I could make. "Or do you want to stop?" Kakashi gave me a bit of distance, and I didn't need to have my eyes open to know he was observing me. "You're looking flushed."

I pushed at his shoulders again, a bit weaker. " _Muuuu_ , I-I'm okay, I'm okay. I'm just… I'm just embarrassed, okay?" The heat on my face was anything but the nearby summer sun.

Kakashi snickered, bumping foreheads with me soon after. "Because it's me?"

"Because it's you," I grudgingly admitted. How open was I? "You're a dork. How are you Jounin?"

Kakashi gave me a small Eskimo kiss and I jolted. It tickled, even though it was just our noses. "You know full well why that is, don't you?" His mouth gently brushed my ear, a sensation that caused a shiver to climb up my spine. "And you're strong in your own way too, Tomoko."

Once his fang grazed my lip again before the final swoop in, I couldn't help but absently think,  _You give me too much credit, Kakashi._

**Naaaaah.**

_I'll pretend that the camera you're holding isn't there._

**Hehehehe, thank you, honey.**

"Dork," was the quiet word caught up in the kiss.

"I'm your dork."

" _Muuu."_

He ended up being late to his team meeting by a minute. And I couldn't help but absently wonder if I would end up being the cause of him being like his Canon self in terms of lateness. It was a different Kakashi, but still…

Perhaps it was time to get a timer. Or be better at  _speaking up_ , even in kissing, dammit.

**THIS WAS SO CUTE!**

_To you, Hisako, to you._

**I don't see** _ **you**_   **denying that the kisses felt good.**

… _Don't rub it in._

**Hehe.**


	37. Hoshi to Hana

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For Wing-chan. Daisuki desu yo. :)
> 
> The song is Hoshi to Hana sung by the Hero Club from Yuki Yuna is a Hero, and I had to use it at one point considering it hasn't shown up in my other stories yet. Translations and romaji lyrics come from the Yuki Yuna wiki kept up on the Internet. I just took out the chorus since it's just a solo this time. :p
> 
> Takes place a bit after Sparkle 34, and originally posted on Tumblr.
> 
> Enjoy!

_Sparkle 37: Hoshi to Hana_

"Neh, neh, Tomoko-nee-chan!"

I hummed softly while inclining my head downwards, trying not to giggle at the little girl sitting in my lap. She was attempting to squirm, but nope. Not today. It was breaktime and besides. Kids needed lots of hugs. "What is it, Haru-chan?"

**Er, honey? Wait a second—**

The little girl known as Fujino Haruka simply pouted up at me with one last wiggle before crossing her arms. Her green eyes were sparkling with something mischievous and her reddish brown hair was definitely tickling my elbows from her ponytail. "Could you sing for us?"

Hisako put her face in the palm of her right hand.  **Too late. You fell for the sparkly eyes.**

_Uhhhhhh… whoops?_

Hisako merely sighed with a fond shake of her head.  **Yep. Definitely not ninja material.**

_Hey…_

"Eh?" I blinked instead, then I looked around me and found myself making eye contact with Hikari. She was absently rolling her shoulder, jostling her hoodie while brushing off any stray grass sticking to her, before blinking up at me too. "Haru-chan," I said absently, leaning back against the nearest tree in the hopes of not falling over, "is the song going to be just for you or do you want Hikari-san to hear too?"

_Because I rarely sing aside for when I emotionally go on to prepare myself for the occasion, ohmigod, what did I get myself into by taking a break with these two?_

"I don't mind," Hikari piped in immediately with a raised hand, and even with her eyes closed, I could easily see the amused smile on her face. I could've easily taken her for a kid from the expression. "We're on break, Tomoko-san. So." She twirled a stray strand of brown hair around her pointer finger. "Why not?"

Without even thinking, my face was already starting to feel like a heater. I glanced down at the little girl in my arms, and Haru-chan was grinning. "Pleaseeeeee?" she begged, and I could've sworn there were more sparkles flying off of her than the gosh darn  _sun_.

From the last resort or what have you, I turned in mentally to my Nobody.  _I'm doomed?_

Hisako shrugged, her glasses glinting.  **You're doomed! Need me to choose the song?**

I held back a sigh, snuggled Haru-chan a bit more, and looked up to catch a glimpse of yellow flowers hanging overhead on a branch.  _You know what?_ I closed my eyes and took a breath.  _Nah. I'm good._

The lyrics came out naturally, even if they were part of some of the last memories Vy ever had. It was a fitting song considering the forest around us.

_"Sakaraba sā…"_

_(If you bloom now…)_

The bits of squirming in my lap stopped almost immediately. Haru-chan was relaxing.

I smiled and continued with the song.

_"Shizukeki mori no naka ima mezameta hana-tachi yo,_

_(Oh, the flowers that have woken up now in the still and silent forest,)_

_Kono yo ni nani wo omoi nani wo kanjiteru?"_

_(What are you thinking of and what are you feeling in this world?)_

I didn't have to open my eyes to know Hikari-san was relaxing too. The wind blowing against all of us felt nice, so I took in as much air as I could.

This was my place. My place to be, to help.

_"Ah, shinjitsu hodo hito wo miryō suru mono wa nai kedo,_

_(Ah, though there is no other thing that can fascinate humans more than the truth,)_

_Ah, shinjitsu hodo hito ni zankoku na mono mo nai no darou?_

_(Ah,  there is nothing that is more cruel to humans than the truth, right?)_

**Climax a-go, honey.** Hisako gave me a thumbs-up.  **Go.**

She didn't even have to remind me. The others were waiting. I took my last breath.

_"Saki hokore omoi no mama ni,_

_(Bloom fully as you want it,)_

_Kono shunkan subete wo kakete,_

_(Risking everything in this moment,)_

_Mugen no hoshi sura mo kasumu yō ni._

_(So that even the infinite stars begin to blur.)_

_Yūki kokoro ni afure_

_(Our hearts overflowing with courage)_

_Ikanaru toki mo ikite."_

_(No matter what the situation is, live.)_

The last line was solemn, yet graceful. Like a flower. Maybe I could be one. Maybe.

_"Sakaraba sā…"_

_(If you bloom now…)_

I let the words float in the air before opening my eyes. Once I did, Haru-chan wiggled in my arms, and I snuggled her as she looked up at me with that large smile. "That was so pretty! Do it again, Tomoko-nee-chan!"

"Eh? Again?" A giggle left my lips. What was I so shy about again? This little girl loved the song judging by the smile on her face. I did something right for once. "I'm not an angel that can just keep going on for hours, Haru-chan."

"Awwwww, pleaseeeee?"

"Hmmmm," I pretended to think on it while resting my chin atop Haruka's small head of hair, batting my eyelashes exaggeratedly. "Hikari-san?"

Hikari simply turned to look at me once I was glancing in her direction. The expression on her face was definitely a grin-turned-smirk. If I could call it that much. "Pleaseeeeee?" she added.

 **Dorks.** Hisako said fondly.

 _Dorks._ I smiled and shrugged. "Okay, okay, one more time. Then we're going for a snack."

"Yay!"

I closed my eyes and started the song again.

_"Sakaraba sā…"_

_(If you bloom now…)_

Hey. We were all together — no matter whether it was out of coincidence or some strange happening. I could at least mark the occasion with the same musical flowers that matched the forest around us.

Konoha could be safe and homey too. Even in war, we could get peace. And I'd fight to have time stop here.


	38. One Bet

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: I'm not entirely proud of this piece. I originally wrote it for Tumblr's eyes only because I was going through an emotional slump, a la the spiral that nearly made me kill Tomoko in the dropped Danganronpa crossover. Still, Lang's been a positive presence, so I decided to post this here.
> 
> Consider this a "What-If" scene for the future of The Sea and Stars, during the prologue leading up to October Tenth and the original source material of the Commencement Arc from Catch Your Breath. Enjoy.

_Sparkle 38: One Bet_

It was a simple question. One bet. The only bet I ever made in my life. Everyone was conversing on what to do in preparation for what would happen October Tenth.

We could've called it the "Fated Day" from how it was in Canon. It was the day that started everything, after all. In the old world, the brainwashed Obito would have succeeded in extracting Kurama from Kushina-nee and go on to ravage Konoha. And just when Minato-san would've won, Obito would target the baby Naruto on Madara's — no,  _Black Zetsu's_ — orders and both Minato-san and Kushina-nee would lose their lives to protect their son. The Third would take back power, and then dominos would fall one after another.

It couldn't happen here. Things were different now. Kakashi wasn't alone. Obito was still loyal to Konoha — he was still the Obi I grew to love as a best friend. Rin-chan was here too. And Kei. She was the jinchuriki to Isobu now, and she was the one to bring us all here, in the Hokage's office, to plan.

We weren't alone this time in trying to change things.

It felt like it was the right time to ask.

I had done enough, but Black Zetsu was still a problem. No matter what we were going to do, he was going to target me. My chakra was a threat.

To him,  _I_ was a threat. I was going to die by his hands, no matter what. That was how Canon would've written it. So, if I was going to go anyways…

"What if… what if you all used me as bait to lure Black Zetsu out?"

**WHA—**

I bet on saying it. To see if I could actually make a change that was worthwhile this time.

Every single ninja, friend and acquaintance alike, turned to look at me with wide eyes. I took a breath, shut my eyes, steeled myself in spite of Hisako's impeding yell session, and continued. "B-Because no matter what we do that day, we're going to be targeted. I-I know, with my chakra being the way it is, with how it just touches everyone without me even wanting to, I'll just be killed by him, so if — if I was just used instead —"

_Maybe if I died first, no one else will have to on the Tenth._

**Honey.** Hisako was quiet.  **You underestimate the Power of Love.**

_Eh?_

"No." Kei said first.

"Absolutely not." Kakashi added.

"NO WAY IN HELL!" Obito yelled.

"Just,  _no_!" Rin finished with an unhappy voice.

My heart leapt out of my chest as my eyes flew open, and Kei's fists were clenched at her sides as she gave me a hard stare. "Also, 'hell no,' 'fuck no,' and 'fucking hell no.'"

"But.. but…" I took a breath and a step back. They were all staring. Why were they protesting? Why were they so determined at saying "no"? "Th-That was a lot of cursing, but for Black Zetsu, what else is there we can do? He's more slippery than  _Orochimaru_ , and Orochimaru isn't exactly dead now… He… he lived way longer than any of us, and—"

 **Your defenses are weakening, Tomoko-chan.** Hisako's voice was softer now.

"And Rin died four months ago, except she didn't." Kei finished for me, and she nodded her head just as Ricchan took a step closer to me. "Look, I think we should plan for  _something_ happening when Naruto's born, but that's different from deliberately throwing you into the deep end against someone whose powers don't seem defined."

My lip quivered. It was probably about time to give in, but the word left my lips before I could think on it further. "Really…?"

_I don't have to be the sacrificial lamb like every single girl is in Kishimoto's stories?_

_"You're not worthy of anything."_

I shook my head. Yeah. Ty was right. I wasn't worthy. To hear this.

Then something proceeded to barrel into me hard, and I looked over the newest shoulder to find a familiar medic clinging to me. "Yes, really," Ricchan said vehemently in my ear, and the hold on my ribs tightened significantly as she shook her head against my shoulder. "Isn't it okay to be scared sometimes?"

"Eh?"

Someone else was coming in too, and I found a wince leaving my mouth once it became obvious Obito was hugging us both now. "Tomo-chan, it's okay to be scared," he said, almost uncharacteristically gentle while bonking my head with his chin. "Sure, Bakashi complains about the shinobi rulebook and how we're not supposed to cry, but it's okay." A hand was patting my hair that wasn't being occupied by Obito's chin, but who was it? "It's okay to be terrified and unsure sometimes. I am all that, right now!" Obito laughed heartily, and I blinked as the group hug closed in on me. Why was this happening? "We're human, Tomo-chan. Don't cut yourself out like a martyr when you're important to us too."

…

_Sniffle._

"O-Obi…!" left me in a hasty moment, and Hisako sighed as the first tears started bubbling in my eyes.

**You're horrible at bets, Tomoko-chan.**

"Oi, there's no need to cry now," said Kakashi, and the hand that was on my hair started stroking it — so it  _was_  him. "The future isn't decided yet." His voice turned hard. "You're not going to die. I swear it."

" _None_  of us are going to let you die, Tomo-chan," Ricchan added angrily, her nose poking into my shoulder as she huffed. "We love you too much for that. So ignore what Kakashi said and cry as much as you want."

"Hey," Kakashi protested, but the hand on my hair still kept stroking.

"We made it through Kannabi, Tomo-chan," Obito added, still quiet while rubbing my head with his chin. "What says we won't make it through Kushina-san's pregnancy?"

"B-But Black Zetsu erased ninshu to begin with…" I squirmed, trying to shrink only to find myself feeling even more trapped. "H-He could already know about us, about this, about trying to stop—"

One more person finally joined the group hug and I didn't have to look up to see Kei's messy cowlicks to know it was her. "That's still no reason to go looking for trouble," she whispered vehemently, and my ribs creaked from the pain with everyone crowding in, yet for some reason, I couldn't find an ounce of myself caring. "Even so, he can't know everything. And I doubt he has feelers where we're going."

"Wh-Where—"  _sniffle_ , "are we going?"  _You know what to do?_

Kei gently bonked the side of my head with her cheek. "You'll find out when we get there. Now just accept that we love you and hug back, you goof."

My vision blurred. In the other world, this would've been impossible. But, right now…

 _"What the_ fuck  _is wrong with you?!"_

 _I dunno, Ty,_ I thought, hugging them all back as hard as I could while holding back a sob.  _You tell me what's wrong with_ you  _because I feel just right here._

Hisako, for all the things she could've said, didn't really add on with much. All she did say was accentuated by a small sigh and a shake of her head.  **Really, honey,** she mused quietly,  **you're horrible at gambling. Don't try betting your life away when there's more than just me who will tell you not to.**

It was something.


	39. Listen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: I probably should've released this earlier, but it took a while since I originally wrote this story on my phone while in a hotel resting from a long walk in Sydney, Australia, so I nearly forgot about this. Nonetheless. Continuing on the Healing Over Time AU stories, here's a scene I enjoyed writing because it is a pianist calling out her second Archer Servant on his distance. The first time the Green Archer showed up in my writing, actually. Robin Hood isn't good at being a loner.
> 
> For a song, I highly recommend Inori no Uta from Yuki Yuna is a Hero, sung by Inobouzaki Itsuki-chan. Because before anyone else, I always imagined Tomoko singing this for the Faceless King if they ever got to know each other like this.

_Sparkle 39: Listen_

"Hey, Master?"

I didn't look up from my book, simply putting the preserved leaf bookmark in between the pages before answering. "What is it, Robin?"

The wind blew past us a bit, accompanied by the quiet chirping of birds — almost expected of the forest we were in. It wasn't exactly rainforest quality with the Hashirama trees and it being within Konoha's walls, but for the Green Archer who decided to strike up a conversation, it seemed to be enough. "Not to be rude or anything…"

"Uh-huh…" I absently turned back a page, but still kept my ears open.

"Why are you spending time with me, a petty bowman?" The extra rustle of leaves seemed to merely accentuate the apparent confusion in the Servant's voice. "I don't have much to offer you aside from a rogue's knowledge at best. Archery and poison is all I have. Not to mention…" A deep exhale. I could guess from the faint smell that it was a cigarette. "I don't recall you liking this smell that much."

Just in case, I held back the first instinctual reply I had and waited. A pause followed, and then Robin said, "…It'd be better if you cut off ties sooner or later, Master. I've nearly run out of tricks."

He didn't use my name. That said something.

I took a breath to calm any impending anxiety-action rushes, and brushed a stray strand of my bangs back. "Even if I don't like tobacco, that doesn't mean I don't like  _you_ , Robin. Even if I don't use archery or poison that much in my life, it's useful for something, but that's  _not_  what defines all the things I like about you." It was an obvious answer. "I never said I wanted you out of my life."

"But…"

The open book in my arms felt unnecessary, so I gently closed its pages before raising a hand in what I could only assume was Robin's direction. He was being the Faceless King again, hiding away for some reason. I couldn't force him to come out, there was no way I could consent to that matter of thinking, so instead I said, "Just listen for a little?"

Another pause, then: "What are you planning, oh so strange Master of mine?"

"Just to ramble like the strange village girl she is, fellow Green Archer," I threw back as gently as I could, before closing my eyes. "Nothing more, nothing less."

A bit more of leaf rustling followed my words, and the wait for a reply didn't last long. There was a slight shaking of the tree trunk I was leaning against, and then it came in the form of a closer voice. "Ramble away then, ojou-san."

A smile played with my lips. "Robin Hood. Green Archer." I raised my right palm up towards my chest, counting off fingers. "A bit stubborn in talking."

"H-Hey."

"Smokes a lot when he thinks no one is looking."

"Oi."

"Takes care of the kitchen when Shirou's on his break."

"H-Hah?!"

Hee hee. "Finds time to clean up the backyard after Papa and Art-san's sparred a bit too much. Also never fails in trying to talk Achi down when he's too battle-thirsty."

"Wh-When did you notice all that—!?"

My dad was a former ninja. My best friends were all ninja. It took some work, but observation could be honed in on and trained.

"Aaaaaand." I imitated a magic stick with my pointer finger, drawing a circle in the air for extra effect. "A rogue who carefully watches over me when I need a break away from ninja and the cafe. A rogue who makes the forest feel like another home." My heart beat once against my ribs, and I found myself finishing with a soft voice. "A rogue that I love and care for very much, away from the archery, poison, and smoking."

This time, what greeted my words was silence. The smile on my face was undeniable, but just in case, I hid it as best as I could before looking up towards the tree foliage.

"Did I make it through to you, Kaze-san? Were you able to listen to the words of such a silly Master?"

There wasn't even a pause this time. A single THUMP sounded nearby, and I didn't have to turn my head because the small corner of a green cloak covering the left hem of my summer dress said it all. "…Yes," was Robin's gentle reply, and a hand roughly landed atop of my head, ruffling my hair. "You might be worse at cutting your losses than me, Tomoko."

"But it looks like you're smiling, Robin." The hand may have been rough on my hair, but I still leaned in that direction anyway. It paid off in letting me find a perch on a very familiar muscular shoulder. Of course, covered by that same dark green cloak. A giggle left me before I concluded with an equally cheery, "So I think we're two birds of a feather with that!"

Robin scoffed but didn't push me away, the hand from before going on to wind around and press against my right shoulder. "My bow will always be yours, Master."

"And I hope I do well in making you happy enough to even feel that way."

My companion had the slightest hint of tobacco smoke lingering on him, but the warmth in his presence was most certainly real. "You do, Master. You really do."


	40. Working Too Hard

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: A drabble of sorts originally written on Tumblr when I was tired and sleep-deprived myself. So, here you go.
> 
> Original Healing Over Time verse, go.

_Sparkle 40: Working Too Hard_

The first time Saber heard of her new Master's "workaholic tendencies," she took note of the phrasing as any other loyal Servant would with polite acceptance. Confusion too, but mostly polite acceptance.

She was not expecting to see the ramifications of said statement so soon.

"…"

"…Master?" Saber tried.

Tomoko didn't move from her place leaning against the banister of the patio. Simply twitched in recognition of what was said, but her head lolled against the structure, shoulders lax in clear exhaustion.

"Welp," Kei spoke up suddenly, and Saber bit back the urge to jump, glancing at her with controlled calm. "That took a bit longer than usual. She lasted a  _week_  compared to the day before."

" _Muuuuu…"_ was Tomoko's small and tired mumble.

"This is… normal?" Saber noted with unease, tilting her head towards her motionless Master.

"Yep." The ninja popped the last "p" exaggeratedly. "That, Saber," Kei gestured to the scene with a wry smile, "Is a burnt out Tomo. She's done it  _again."_ She put her hands on her hips, giving Saber a questioning eyebrow. "What was she doing this time?"

"Playing the piano, swords training, baking, cooking, visiting the hospital…" Saber trailed off with the fifth counted finger. "Ah." She decided not to mention the chakra-to-prana conversion process. The point was already implied.

The ninja rolled her eyes with a small sigh. "My point exactly. Think you could help me get her back into the house? She needs to sleep."

"Noooooo, I don't…"

"Yes, you dooooooo," Kei echoed back.

Tomoko groaned and slumped against the banister, nodding her head. "I can keep going…"

"No. No, you can't."

" _Muuuuuu…"_

Saber held back a sigh and nodded firmly. "Enough. I understand. Seeing this is painful."

"At least you know now before she somehow gets a  _fever_."

"…That has happened before?"

"You'd believe it  _once_  it's happened."

Saber didn't want to know anymore. "I will go get the nearest futon."  _Because this is worse than_ Shirou _._

Kei chuckled dryly. "You go do that."


	41. Green Wind

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: Healing Over Time AU stuff is back! This time with one Faceless May King. :) A sequel to Achilles' Other Heel and a prequel to Listen.
> 
> Dedicated to the first Servant I used a Grail on in FGO, one of my favorite Archers.
> 
> Please listen to Sayuri's Tsuki no Hanataba for this chapter and enjoy.

_Sparkle 41: Green Wind_

"Robin? Robin?" I cupped my hands around my mouth, keeping my voice as quiet as I could in the open air. "Robin? Are you out here?"

No answer. The wind simply blew past me, rustling my hair to the point of it tickling.

"Robin?"

Again, no answer.

"I don't think it's any use, Master." Shirou's voice echoed from the patio above, and I turned my head upwards just to catch a glimpse of his tanned hand waving at me. Was it just me or was he looking slightly sour? "That Green Archer isn't the brightest flower of the forest. Even if it's you, I don't think he'll show himself that easily."

Er, what?

"That doesn't mean I can leave him alone!" I couldn't help but stomp my sandal against the grass, tempted to jump up a little just for Archer to see me frown. "Even if he's a new Servant, even if you don't like him that much—"

"Hey—"

" _I_  don't want to leave him alone, Shirou!"

My first Archer, not even clad in the red he was known for, blinked at me once. Then he chuckled softly, his laughter echoing in the air even when he was a bit above my head thanks to the patio. "Still as stubborn as ever, huh, Tomoko?"

I pouted at him, crossing my arms. I couldn't glare up at him, but I could very well  _try._  "You've been with me for these past few years, shouldn't that be obvious?"

Shirou laughed again, throwing his head back. "You really are one big piece of work. I'm assuming you're going to wander off into the forest past the yard until you find him?"

On point, but I was an open book. All my Servants could guess. "Aye!" I said, cheerier this time.

I didn't have to make direct eye contact to know my red Archer was rolling his eyes. "I'll prepare lunch for you so you can have something when you get back."

The smile on my face was already growing because thank goodness, he wasn't stopping me. Even if my idea was probably reckless as all fuck with Mama and Papa handling the cafe and my Servants being the only people in the house. The ninja were all doing their own thing, so I couldn't ask them. Sakumo-jichan was still at the Academy until sundown, and right now it was close to noon.  _Hopefully,_ Robin Hood would be nice with his disappearing act and take it down once I found him. For now… "Thankie, Shirou!"

Archer smiled that familiar amused smirk of his.

I probably shouldn't have thought the approval process was over at that.

A single second passed and then a familiar yellow ahoge was poking past Archer's shoulders, letting me see emerald eyes peek past Archer's neck narrowed disapprovingly in my direction. Uh oh. "Tomoko, are you going alone?"

Welp. Saber. Of course she would be there too. I shouldn't have been surprised, but my voice came out squeaky nonetheless. "Um, yes?"

Saber immediately stepped out of Archer's shadow, frown deepening with the motion. Her hands were obviously on her hips. "One of us should come with you. There is no telling what is out there in that forest."

"Why, Saber?" Archer gave her a teasing side-glance, shrugging. "Our Master is stubborn. She has her Wayfinder and the Command Spells. She can fend for herself."

"That does not mean I am happy with the arrangement, Archer," she shot back, and a shiver climbed up my spine at her voice. "Tomoko is our only Master. And if anything happened to her, who knows what would occur in the aftermath." She shook her head. "Tomoko's family would have  _all_  of our heads before we could even dematerialize. And she has been struck down  _before._  I shall come with you, Milady."

Archer paled and took a step back as soon as Saber stepped forward, his hands raised in the air to surrender. "Okay, okay, I'm not going to fight you on that part."

Oh no. "Y-You don't have to, Saber!" I waved my hands too, trying not to rustle my skirt with the air. "I'll be okay! I have my self-defense naginata on me!" It was folded up and hidden in my skirt pockets, but still.

"Tomoko, you're going out into a forest  _alone_. Where poisonous plants and dangerous animals abide their time constantly." Saber was looking more and more unimpressed by the second. "Why do you insist on going unguarded?"

The first thing that came to mind immediately left my lips in a hasty squeak. "Because it makes Green Archer-san feel more comfy if it's just me?"

Saber blinked. Archer blinked too. Then someone jumped over both of their heads and once I got a glimpse of the metal shoes in the sunlight, I could already guess. "C'mon, you two, lighten up!" Achilles himself entered the fray lacking his iconic shoulder gauntlets and orange sash, but the armor said everything else, and I couldn't help but blink up at him. "We all know how Tomoko is. Our Princess is going out there whether we like it or not. So, why not trust her?" The grin was already leaking into his voice if the confidence oozing from the words was any indication. "It's because of that stubbornness the three of us originally got along, right?"

Saber's frown lessened, albeit slightly. She folded her hands against one another. "That is true…"

My heart beat a bit harder at the obvious trust. "Achi…"

My green-haired Rider turned to give me his usual happy grin, his gloved hand already reaching over to pat my head, knocking the words of gratitude off my tongue. "You're serious, huh?"

I settled for a simple, "Aye."

"You sure about this? I can offer one of my horses to go with you." Achi's smile dropped for a solemn expression, his yellow eyes glistening with something new. Worry? Concern? I didn't know. But I didn't miss how one of his hands slowly reached up to brush my cheek with the back of his fingers.

"Aye," I said again, gently reaching over to grasp his hand in mine. The least I could do was reassure him, so I put on my best smile. "I'm sure, Achi. I'll be okay and I'll come back as soon as I can."

Achilles tilted his head at me, eyes searching and probing. "You won't be reckless?"

"As much as the Faceless May King allows," I amended with a small boop to his nose with my other hand. "And if anything, I can use a Command Spell if worse comes to pass."

Achilles continued to stare at me. He definitely wasn't buying it. Not that I could blame him. "You trust him that much?"

"I trust  _you all_ that much," I corrected, booping his nose again while holding back a sigh. For once, I couldn't help but wish my Servant family could give up some of their paranoia because this was starting to get suffocating. The ninja were already bad enough on their own. "And I get it. Sure, our new Archer isn't exactly the 'brightest' person of our group—"

Shirou scoffed from up above on the patio. Woooow. Someone was definitely sulky. Out of some kind of feeling, I couldn't help but shoot at him a small, "This coming from the guy who makes a cloudy world filled with just swords!" While to my Rider of a boyfriend, I added, "So more brooding people in the family means I get more experience pulling heroes out of their shells! Literally!"

Achi blinked at me before turning his head away, gloved hand clearly covering his mouth to hide laughter. Even from the high vantage point, I could faintly make out Saber's figure shaking too, her face turned away.

Hah. My weird wordplays were catching on! It  _only_ took a year this time!

"…Objection," the red Archer said after a pause, pointedly ignoring the giggling Saber behind him. "On what grounds?"

"Magic!" I chirped at him, waving my arm in the air at him for extra exaggeration. "And your objection is denied!"

"Again, Master, on what grounds?!"

"Mine!"

Archer put his forehead into the palm of his hand.

Meanwhile, Achilles was already snickering, his shoulders shuddering from how much he was holding back in his own palm. "You have a point," he said in-between chuckles. "We already have quite the crowd, huh, Tomoko?"

I mockingly saluted a la an old flying blue cat. "Aye!" It didn't take long for the feeling of a glare to settle into the top of my head, so I simply raised my head to shout an additional, "Love you too, Archer!"

The stoic Servant gave me a raised eyebrow once we made eye contact, but the light pink on his cheeks was unmistakable. "Hn," he scoffed, before closing his eyes completely and disappearing in sparkles of blue.

Embarrassment wasn't something Heroic Spirits left behind in their previous lives, it seems.

"Spirit form," Saber muttered after a moment, and she trotted over to the railway that served as the patio's border from the backyard, leaning over to yell, "I will watch over the house, Tomoko! Please, Milady, be safe!"

Oh, Saber. She was amazing. I couldn't help but wave at her too, beaming. "Aye aye! I love you too, Art-san!"

She flushed a light pink, jolting in place. She glanced to both sides, looking around before meeting my eyes. She didn't say them aloud, but mouthed the words instead, probably because Achilles was still here. The words were still obvious.

_I love you too, Milady._

Once she finished, Art-san quickly darted back into the house, her ears visibly pink.

Awww.

"Hee hee," left my lips in a giggle. "I'm feeling very lucky."

Something lightly bumped the back of my head. "Oiiiii. Princess. Aren't you forgetting someone?"

 _That's true…_  Hehehe. I swiveled around on my feet, got up on my tiptoes, and leaned over to my Rider. The grin on my face was starting to make my cheeks hurt from how big it was. "I love you too, Achi~!"

Just before I could kiss him on the cheek, I could barely catch Rider smirking from the corner of my vision before he conveniently  _moved._ "Not there, Princess~!" was the happy hum, and the squeak that left my lips quickly became muffled once it registered in my head that he was kissing me on the lips. Argh.

I tried to pull back, only to be held in place by a muscular arm having wound itself around my waist, plus the hand pressing against the back of my head. " _N-Nn_ … A-Achi…!"

Achilles hummed happily in the kiss, not even minding my fidgeting before pulling away. The grin on his face could've been blinding. Aaaand infuriating too, if not for how fast my heart was beating. "Can't let you go without that, Princess~!"

"Mou, Achi!" I pouted, very tempted to stomp my feet again. "I need to go out!"

"Awwww, but Princess." The hands wound around me did not seem like they wanted to budge just yet. "I can't just let you go like the others without some reassurance of the girl that is you." His nose brushed mine, and I held back the urge to giggle once he rubbed them together. "Or can't a lowly hero like me do that much?"

"Just ask next time," I pointed out, my cheeks red. "I don't mind you kissing me, but I'm trying to go reach out to another stubborn Servant and I don't want any fights breaking out because you got too handsy."

Achilles rolled his eyes, chuckling. "I can't help it, Princess." His lips lightly brushed mine this time, and I tried not to recoil from the embarrassment. "You're going out on your own — I can't help it. So…" he trailed off, his face still close to mine as he breathed. "Can I get one more before you go?"

Immediately, my mind made me remember a single name, but I decided not to bring it up, instead reaching over to tug at the collar of his shirt. There was no point in bringing up bad memories. "Okaaaaaay, Achi, you can have one more."

My Rider Servant's eyes proceeded to sparkle, and I tried not to roll my own eyes once he pulled me in by his hand still resting on the back of my head.

Even if he was a Heroic Spirit, he was still human in the end. Demigod or not. I had to respect that.

* * *

"Robin? Robin?"

I cupped my hands around my mouth as I walked, ignoring the slight tug of fear at the back of my mind. The forest was a bit too quiet than usual, the only sounds in the area I could hear being that of the faint chirpings of faraway birds and the crinkle of leaves being crushed under my sandals.

"Robin?"

No answer. Argh.

Perhaps I should have brought one of my Servant family members with me, but that was then. There was no changing the now when I couldn't ask now. I took a breath, stopped walking, and put a hand to my chest.

"It's okay, it's okay, you have your Wayfinder, you have Miyako-bachan's naginata…" The aforementioned metal star was still around my neck, so I instinctively gripped it. "It's okay." I took another breath to calm myself. This was not the time to be anxious. I had a green Archer to find.

I looked up towards the tree tops and opened my mouth while walking forward. "Robin?"

At first, there was the usual silence. But once the next "Robin" was on the tip of my tongue, a voice echoed through the trees, as if disembodied. He could've been like a ghost from how sudden the reply was. "You call for me way too much, silly Master."

My own voice cracked on the next call, because  _that_ jab was not expected. "Is… Is that a bad thing?"

"I don't know, ojou-chan, you tell me." The voice echoed yet again, this time from a different direction. "Why are you trying to find me?"

"Because I want to?" I couldn't help but feel confused. Even Shirou — my first Archer, never was this stand-offish. But the hesitance from me — that wouldn't convince anyone. "Because I was hoping to get to know you better," I said a bit more confidently, clutching my Wayfinder all the while. It didn't seem right to bring up our apparent Master-Servant contract, so I kept my mouth closed with that.

The response was a faraway scoff. "I don't think a young lass like you should associate herself with me, ojou-chan." The words were accentuated by a rustle of leaves and what sounded like the folding of a cloth. Or maybe that last part was me fooling myself. "I'm not a Knight like your Saber. I'm not a Hero like your boyfriend from the Trojan War."

Ooookay. I took a step forward, gently asking, "What about the other Archer? My red Archer?"  _Why are you putting yourself down in the face of the others? Is it because they're not here?_

Another rustle. "He doesn't count," was the terse reply. From the way his voice dropped a few octaves, I had a strange feeling Robin was miffed. Was Shirou a bad subject? "Don't know much about him, and to be honest, he rubs me the wrong way. We wouldn't make good friends, me and that red Archer. And besides, I'm supposed to be a  _rogue,_  ojou-chan. Not a waiter."

Oh. The Servant civilian identities in Nagareboshi Cafe? He was deciding to focus on that now? I took a breath. "Robin, I wasn't going to ask you to be a waiter if you didn't want to."

"Then what were you going to  _do_  with me, ojou-chan?" The disembodied voice sounded closer to me now as the tree branches above my head shook from nearby winds. "Without a fight, I'm just a petty bowman who's only good at archery and deception. And you have plenty of Assassins to fill that role."

Um. Okay. He was bringing Kei and my other friends into this conversation now. I wasn't sure what to make of it. "That doesn't mean I don't want you  _here_ , Robin," I said honestly, looking up towards the sky. "Ninjas or Assassins or whatever. My friends are my friends, but that doesn't discount  _you._ And hey. You seem nice enough and I said it before. I want to get to know you better, Robin."

A long pause followed. "…You don't even know me, ojou-chan, and you're calling me 'nice.'" There was a soft, sarcastic laugh. "I don't know if you're a blockhead or really as sweet as the Servants claim you are."

"Use 'dork' and I'll go with that," I couldn't help but follow up with a dry tone because this was starting to echo another friend I used to know and I didn't want that reminder. "Sweet is better than bitter from reality, isn't it?"

"I dunno, ojou-chan." The trees rustled again. Was he jumping around in the foliage? Or was he just perched somewhere to be hidden away from any staring? "There's this thing called 'honey-traps' I think you should look up."

Uh. My grip on my Wayfinder loosened from the curiosity flooding my veins. "What's a 'honey-trap'?"

A longer pause from before followed my words. "You're asking me?" Robin answered finally.

"You're the one who brought it up! And this  _is_ a way to start a conversation!"

There was the distinct sound of a hand meeting a forehead that echoed through the forest, even with all the rustling. "I shouldn't have even  _tried,_ but thanks for proving my point."

"I'd ask what point that'd be, but at least it's a better question than, 'What's a bondage slave'!" I protested loudly. The last part wasn't even necessary, but out of stubbornness or what have you, I blurted it out anyways. Vy did have some weird social experiences, and that one question  _alone_ started everything with Josh and Leo, funnily enough.

And yep. That was the apparent last straw since the next thing I knew, a green lump of a person was falling to the forest floor in front of me, twitching post-landing as soon as my eyes focused on it. "The — The  _fuck_ ," was the curse, and then the green hood fell back to expose spiked orange hair as a bandaged hand rubbed the neck area. "You asked two boys that? In an open area?"

"No different from how I'm asking you now!" I pointed out with a huff. "And I know I'm clueless on sex stuff! So, what's this thing?"

The green Archer known as Robin Hood stared at me incredulously for a few moments. The first seconds, I didn't mind. Once it started trickling into a minute, I felt myself fidget. What was I, a  _goddess?_ No. "You know what? Never mind. Don't ask me that. Me and my big mouth. Leave the 'honey-trap' thing to that Red Archer of yours." He rubbed the back of his neck this time, looking more and more put off as he turned his head away. "Fine then. If you're going to try to get to know me better, then I'll have to set a few ground rules."

"Sure," I agreed immediately. "Name them off."

Robin Hood turned back to give me another incredulous stare. If I didn't know any better, it could've been like I gave him the  _world_ with how he was looking at me. "You really  _are_ a blockhead," he said in amazement. "Not even questioning me?"

"Do note," I replied in dry amusement, "that this is the first actual conversation that I've had with you since the summoning and this is a simple way of getting to know someone! So there's nothing to really question!"

"In  _what_ way?"

"Keeping your ears open and listening helps start something!"

Robin's green eyes widened. "…Oh," he said finally, then closed his eyes and put a hand on his hip, lowering his head. It was hard to miss the green and purple-highlighted  _crossbow_ strapped to his right forearm with the gesture. "I really  _did_ get stuck with another blockhead."

"I'll… take that as a compliment?" I said slowly, feeling my voice drop a pitch or two. "But please, go on?"

Robin sighed again before raising his left hand in a "come here" gesture. I blinked but followed him anyways, walking forward to face him while still gripping my Wayfinder. Judging by how his eyes darted between my eyes and my hands, he definitely noticed, as he huffed once before putting on a smile I don't think I had ever really seen except for when we first met. Small, gentle, yet mysterious. "C'mon, Master, I'm not gonna hurt you."

"You've given me plenty of reason to be  _worried_  about you instead, Archer," I pointed out instead, letting go of one of my hands to gently pat his shoulder through his cloak. Robin took a step back from surprise, but I kept my hand raised while returning his previous smile with one of my own. "Because if my other Servants haven't said it enough, I don't plan to send you out to fight. I was just planning to take you in like everyone else who's come to my home. I just don't get why you're backing away like this."

Robin exhaled before turning away again, this time using his left hand to throw the hood of his cloak over his head. "It doesn't involve you, Master. Archers usually do their own thing."

It took a moment for me to hold back a sigh. "…Shirou said the same thing, y'know."

That got his attention. Even when Robin was starting to phase in and out of view from his cloak, which already had me guessing that it was a Noble Phantasm, I could make out his green eyes and orange hair. "Shirou?"

"The Red Archer you keep dissing,  _Archer,"_  I continued casually, and the smile on my face felt wry and almost sarcastic now. Hisako would've been proud. "And even though he said the  _same_ thing, he's now back at home, cooking with Saber. So I don't think that excuse applies here."

"Bloody hell," Robin said incredulously, lowering his cloak enough to bring his form back into view. "You got the bastard's name. No one I've known got  _his_ name."

"I feel like I should take offense at the bastard comment," I huffed, feeling a pout come onto my face and chakra starting to flow through my veins. The Wayfinder was feeling warm under my fingers, but I took a breath to stop it. There was no point in getting angry. "Enough of that. Can we talk?"

"We're talking right now, Master."

"That's not it!" I stomped my sandal and Robin blinked. "It feels like you've been deflecting me! I want to get to know you, but I can't ever seem to  _find_ you and we're going in circles! Just, just…" I took a breath, lowering my head to look at those green boots instead of meeting his eyes. Who knew what he was thinking? Even with the lily Command Spells embedded into my front shoulder blade, Robin Hood felt like an enigma. A kind enigma, but an enigma. I settled for plain honesty because otherwise, it felt like I was going to cry. "What can I do to make you feel better?"

This time, there was no immediate reply. The green boots in front of me shifted back and forth, tapping the forest floor for a moment as a quiet, almost thoughtful voice echoed above my hair. "…No one's really asked me that question before," Robin said finally. "I'd have half a mind to tell you not to worry so much about me, Master, but—" a hand was in front of my lips before I could raise my head and protest, "you're stubborn. I'll give you that." The hand in front of my lips reached up to rest on my head and this time, the smile on his face looked sad. Lonely, if I could say that much. "You are an absolute blockhead, Master."

"Not Master," I replied back quietly, "Tomoko. You can call me by my name, Archer. To-mo-ko."

A wry chuckle left Robin Hood's lips. "That will be hard, Master, for I am still a petty bowman."

"So? I am a petty pianist girl, surrounded by Heroic Spirits and ninja she never did deserve," I shot back, parodying his words. "I think we're in good company."

* * *

It took awhile to find the right seats. Well, more like the right  _tree._

Robin Hood insisted on staying in the woods and not returning to Nagareboshi Cafe for the chat. Needless to say, I politely did not mention my absolute  _fear_ at being so high up without Kei and the others around, but since Robin was still a Servant, I could take a breather. Maybe.  _Maaaaybe._

"I still can't believe you like camping this much," I muttered, trying to adjust my seat on the branch just so I could be a bit closer to the trunk and  _not_ towards any delicate wood. "How you can sit like this is beyond me."

"This is coming from the Master who has  _Assassins_ for best friends and three powerful Servants on her side before I even came into the picture?" Robin rolled his eyes but offered an arm to me anyways, perched cross-legged on the branch like a pro. " _I'm_  surprised you're not used to this."

"I may have been  _impaled_ through the stomach and survived death, Archer, but that doesn't mean I'm invulnerable."

Robin paused this time, giving me enough time to scoot over, at least a little, to rest against his offered arm. "You're blunt."

"And you're a dork, so being blunt is  _necessary,"_  I concluded.

The green Archer sighed again. "What was this about ground rules again?"

"Please, Archer," I deadpanned, "please elaborate then."

"I dunno, Master—" he paused as soon as I gave him a dirty look, fixing it with a hasty, " _Tomoko —_ man, that feels weird to say," he took a breath, absently fingering a pouch attached to the belt around his waist, "I feel more up for a smoke."

What the heck. A forest-dwelling man who liked  _tobacco smoke_ that killed your lungs? The irony was strong here and I didn't like it. My voice must've reflected it, because it was the most guttural and unapologetic I had ever heard myself be. "I don't think cigarettes would help in establishing the first social interaction, Archer."

Robin Hood gave me a look of his own before absently resting an elbow on his knee, pulling his hand away from his belt. "Then listen carefully, Tomoko. I won't repeat these. Rule #1." He raised a pointer finger of his own, looking up towards the leaves above us. "You gotta let me be on my own every now and then. It gets noisy staying in a home like yours."

"Sure…" I said, feeling a bit inadequate now because  _that_ wasn't exactly a farfetched request, considering Robin Hood's mythos back in Vy's world. It was still not expected, and to be honest, I felt a bit sad at hearing it being said. Then again, this was one of Robin Hood's apparent boundaries — I had to respect it at least. "Keep going?"

"I can't even  _believe_  you," Robin quipped back with a dry frown, "considering no one else has really listened to my input, but sure. Number 2. Keep that Red Archer of yours away from me. Even if it means us not being in the same room."

Okay, what the  _heck._ "Is Shirou really that bad?"

Once my companion was giving me a scathing glance, I raised my hands in the air and vigorously shook my head, amending the previous statement with a smaller, "Okay, I'll drop the subject. Anything else?"

This time, Robin Hood's eyes seemed searching, the dirty look from before dropping for something else entirely, and the entire moment alone reminded me that this was still a Servant I didn't know much about. Unlike Art-san, Shirou, and Achi, who had been with me for a year or more, Robin Hood was still an enigma. I had no clue of his heritage, where he came from, or even if his legend was the same one as that one Disney movie.

I found myself gulping a little once it became obvious he wasn't willing to talk immediately. "…Archer?"

He blinked and proceeded to snap his fingers. "There's the last rule. Number 3."

"Eh?"

"Ojou —  _Tomoko,"_  Archer took a moment to amend his voice, his nose wrinkling from discomfort at the name change before continuing, "you have  _two_ Archers under contract now. And I have no clue what relationship you have with that reckless red Archer of yours, but you can't just call the both of us 'Archer' and get away home free. It'll get confusing, cafe work or not." With that said, Robin Hood turned away, a distant look now present in his green eyes. "And True Names are out of the playing field."

That was new. And alarming. I mean, I knew my original three Servants took a while to open up, but this guy… "Do you…" I scooted a little closer to him while reaching up to gently rest a hand against his crossbow arm. "Do you not like the name 'Robin Hood'?"

"It's not that." This time, Archer rubbed the back of his head, angrily ruffling his hair before turning to me with what looked like a helpless shrug. "I dunno what fairy tales you read, Tomoko, but from where I was, there was more than one person who took up the name 'Robin Hood.' I was but a nameless rogue who tried to help a village from being plifered, and  _died_ a rogue thanks to the village I was trying to protect." A soft, uncharacteristically bitter chuckle left his throat as he kept his gaze focused on the leaves above. "Never bothered to pick up any other name. So you can call me anything else  _but_ that."

Oh. This was definitely… this was definitely something a therapist could unravel better than a civilian pianist girl. The amount of baggage in the words, the way Archer wasn't meeting my eyes — it all screamed volumes of a past I could barely understand, even with the lens provided by my ninja family and my other Servants, and for once, I found myself blank.

What could I do?

_Maybe…?_

For a moment, I remembered a silver dog tag owned by one Egyptian Pharaoh who specialized in playing card games and that alone served as my lightbulb.

I took a breath. "…Then how about I give you a name?"

Robin Hood swiveled his head fast enough to nearly hit a branch overhead, his green eyes wide. "Repeat that?"

A blush was climbing up my face from how  _suddenly_ he responded, but I continued with as much courage as I could muster. "If you're not okay with the names of 'Archer' or 'Robin Hood,' then I can come up with a name for you. One that you'd be okay with, one to call your own. Since no one named you before."

If I didn't get his attention before, I definitely had every single bit of it now. "Master —  _Tomoko,_ you do realize that I'm still a copy of the original Servant in the Throne of Heroes?" He was fumbling now, shaking his head and not meeting my eyes again. His gaze was shifting between the tree beneath us, my face, and the sky — anywhere but my eyes. "Even if you give me a name, the original 'me' might not—"

 _Might not remember anything,_ was left in the air. Unspoken, unsaid, but obvious and painful.

It was panic. Robin Hood was panicked. That wasn't what I was aiming for, but it was still a reaction. He was actually extending something that resembled help, and I couldn't ignore that. So I reached over to rest my hand over his. "We don't know about that," I said gently, patting the available skin showing through his glove. Even without making eye contact, I knew that Robin Hood was staring holes into my head, so I looked up to meet his gaze and put on a smile. "Things can change. Shirou's the Counter Guardian and Saber's King Arthur. Maybe the Throne could make exceptions. And besides. You have another life here. Might as well make the most of it, right?"

Archer inhaled sharply. "You really  _are_  a gigantic blockhead. Anything could happen, Master."

"And it's because of that uncertainty that you should enjoy what you have.  _Move onward, not there yet, let's just live."_ Those old lyrics would never tire out and they were already doing their job considering how Archer's eyes had widened again in my direction. "So." I patted his hand again. "Can I shoot a name by you?"

Archer's green eyes swirled with something foreign. Still, I kept up eye contact until it started to hurt, and once he read whatever he could from my stare, he turned away and quietly pulled his hand back from my grip. He wasn't meeting my eyes again. "…If you're that insistent on it, go ahead. Aim and shoot, Master."

It was good enough permission. I took a moment to think on it. It could've been a minute. A second. I didn't know. But once I had something, Archer already had a cigarette in his hand, so my response came out hurried and worried all at once.

"Then what about 'Kaze-san'?"

Robin Hood's lighter nearly fell out of his hand as he turned to stare at me. "Kaze?  _Wind?_ Why that?"

The blush was still sticking on my cheeks, but I shrugged anyways. "I think it's meaningful. I don't know what your life was like as a rogue, but I can imagine you like the wind. Something no one notices at first glance, but also something you can't take for granted. Something people should cherish because it pollinates flowers and cools hot days. And besides." I looked into his green eyes and did my best to smile. "I met you on a windy day and I like the wind."

It was in that moment that I first saw Robin Hood blush. And by then, I knew it was a good choice.

A wind passed between us, coincidentally, as he absently rubbed his nose with his thumb. The cigarette and lighter were left forgotten in his lap as he considered. The waiting took a moment, but before I could fumble and try to apologize for whatever mishap I did, Robin Hood laughed. For another first time, Robin Hood  _laughed_  in what sounded like good cheer. It wasn't dry nor sarcastic. The laugh was warm and happy _._ Almost resembling that fox version of Robin Hood Vy remembered from that one Disney movie. It was something. "You are  _cheesy,_ Tomoko." He was smiling and even with the quip, it felt like it was enough. "What the hell. We're here and I'm not winning anything. Kaze's good."

"Oh." I covered my mouth with my hand. "Hee hee." I couldn't hug him yet, but I could offer my other hand to him and smile as a sign of future blessings. "Welcome to the family then, Kaze-san."

It didn't even take five minutes for him to take my hand and shake on it. It was the start of something new.

* * *

"How long did it take this time?"

Shirou's gray eyes seemed to glint in that malicious teasing way, and now I could understand why Kaze-san didn't seem to get along with him that much. It certainly explained why he immediately used his cloak to disappear out of sight once we came back home.

"A few days," I said casually, trying not to roll my eyes while walking past my red Archer, and the entire time, I could see Achi's knowing smirk behind him. Dorks. Thankfully, Saber was the usual Saber, smiling gently at me past Shirou's other side and already opening her arms for a hug once I came close. It wasn't even a choice since it was  _Art-san._ Her smile merely widened once I reached her for a nice snuggle, her hands already brushing my hair of any leaves. "I'm home safe now, Saber…!"

"Yes, you are, Milady," Saber said softly above my head. "Yes, you are. As reckless as you were, you did well."

Coming from the former King Arthur herself, that was praise I could do nothing but take. There was no refusing Art-san.

The drain that came with emotional openness finally started to hit and I found myself slumping against her before I could feel it register in my head. "Milady?" Saber was confused for only a second before she adjusted the entire hug, her hands going to support my waist as my knees continued to buckle. "Oh," she said, her voice quieter, "you are drained now, aren't you?"

"Aye…"

A hand was gently patting my back and it was thanks to the clinking of armor that I knew it was Achi. "Our Princess finally is falling back to Earth with us, huh?" There was a snicker. "Knew this was going to happen. Whose turn is it to carry her back to bed?"

"I-I can walk…" A yawn left me before I could protest. "Darn it…"

Saber chuckled softly above my head while shifting, a soft kiss pressing to my hair. "Do not complain, Milady, you are tired and we all merely love you. Just let us tend to you for once." Arms were lifting me up now, my eyes barely strong enough to stay open as my ears could pick up a conversation. Bits and pieces of what sounded like Shirou talking to someone before the air was brushing my now bare feet. Someone took off my sandals. Who was it?

My head lolled against a new shoulder, a different pair of arms resting against my back and under my legs. My nose could vaguely smell something woody. It wasn't Achi and the muscles were too lean to be Shirou. Who?

"Archer." Art-san's voice, but this time she sounded more alert. A bit farther away. Huh? "I see you have taken Milady with you."

"Chill, Saber, I'm not going to do anything with the lady. Just tucking her into bed since you three can't seem to decide who's going to carry her there."

"OI! That's my  _girlfriend,_ you ass!" Achi protested.

"Quit it, Achilles, the guy's as stubborn as me. Don't question it."

The person carrying me sighed. "And here I thought I would get some peace and quiet."

Art-san sighed. "I will handle those two. Be sure not to drop her, Robin Hood."

"Duly noted."

Oh. The tension was leaving my shoulders and I breathed in that woody scent before leaning against him. Kaze-san. He was closer than I thought. Even with my half-closed eyes, the small bit of green I could see through my eyelashes confirmed it. "Thankie, Kaze-san…"

A shaky breath reverberated through the shoulder I was leaning on. Then a nose was pressing in my hair. "You blockhead. Don't talk—"

"Welcome home…"

There was silence. I couldn't feel Shirou, Aqui, or Art-san. Just Kaze-san and he was breathing again. "Blockhead. I'm back."

It was something. I was going to be more tired in the future, but at least this time, someone new would be happy. It felt good enough.


End file.
